


Of Castles And Hairy Beasties

by jessm78



Series: Time With a Twist of Tartan [2]
Category: Doctor Who (1963)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Angst, Drama, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-10-01
Packaged: 2019-06-18 10:27:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 35,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15483738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessm78/pseuds/jessm78
Summary: Much to UNIT's relief, things have been relatively quiet lately. That is, until the Doctor reads about strange goings-on at a castle in Scotland. While touring this castle, Jamie comes face-to-face with an old foe and things get very personal as someone close to him becomes threatened. Second story in the Time With a Twist of Tartan series.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Not my characters, except for Kathryn and any minor OCs that pop up. This story and the series it's part of are written for entertainment purposes only. Once again, it's unbetaed, so any mistakes are mine and mine alone. This story is set about 3-4 months after the end of Waylaid In London. Some of the information on Glamis Castle is fictional and for storytelling purposes only. I like to research while using actual locations so a story will seem at least a little accurate, but sometimes I will take a little creative license.

 

 

_Glamis Castle_

_Angus, Scotland_

_March 26, 1972_

 

“And through here is Duncan's Hall … Please keep up, everyone.”

Nigel Thorne did all he could to keep from rolling his eyes and shook his head. When was this bloody tour going to end? He was here as a favor to his wife, Debbie. They hailed from East Anglia and were here in Scotland on holiday. Nigel had never been here before. He admitted the scenery was quite impressive, but he really had no interest in such detailed history of castles and such. Truth be told, he'd be more content to remain outside and take photographs than follow some stuffy old guide and listen to his dull, tired spiel of what previous inhabitants ate for dinner four hundred years ago.

Debbie owed him big for this. Next attraction they would visit would have a pub where he could take a load off and lose himself in a dram or two of whisky.

As they strolled through this hall, he hadn't realized he'd started dragging his feet until he heard Debbie clucking her tongue at him. “Come on, Nigel,” she hissed, a look of obvious disapproval on her face. “At least pretend you're mildly interested, yeah?”

Nigel snorted. Here he was, thirty-six years old, and his wife was talking to him as if he were six. Perhaps he was being a little unreasonable, but he sorely needed a drink and couldn't wait for this tour to be done and over with.

“As I previously mentioned, the Earl was known as an expert hunter,” the guide's voice suddenly cut through his reverie. “His most notable 'prizes' are all on display here.” The older man made a sweeping gesture to the many animal heads mounted high up on the wall, including deer and boar. “Not only did he hunt and bring back animals from here in Scotland, but from many other places as well.”

 _Right, sure. Bla bla blah._ Nigel was about to go back to his obsessive 'I-need-a-drink' mode until something made him stop in his tracks.

The hall made a slight turn to the right and there in the corner stood a large, stuffed … hairy animal of some sort. What sort of creature was that? It was tall, standing on its hind legs, and had a profuse covering of brown hair all over its body. Could it be a bear? Possibly, but it didn't look like any bear he'd ever seen.

The more he stared at it the more mesmerized he grew. He couldn't say why, exactly. Perhaps he was just so mystified by its origin. Where had it come from? The guide had said the Earl was an avid hunter, or at least that's what it sounded like. Now he wished he'd paid more attention.

“Nigel!” Debbie's voice suddenly called. “Come on! Keep up with the group!”

He briefly turned his head to find her way ahead of him and their group even further ahead. Had he really been standing here that long? “Oh, yes, sorry.... I'm coming. Be there straight away,” he muttered absently.

He'd turned back to regard the strange creature one last time, his brow furrowing in confusion before finally turning to leave. He was nearly halfway out of the hall when he suddenly felt the sensation of someone – or something – tapping him on the shoulder.

Turning his head, he found no one there. It was just that stuffed creature, standing motionless. Although he couldn't see its eyes it was as if it were staring at him. He was hypnotized. Deep down a part of him knew this was silly and he really should get back to his wife and the rest of their group.

But he couldn't. That thing was keeping him here.

As he stared at it, he saw its features begin to change. A set of two large, dark eyes suddenly appeared. Feeling the hairs standing straight up on his arms, Nigel licked his lips nervously. Something was not right here.

He really needed to leave. But he couldn't.

He could hear his heart throbbing, the pounding echoing in his ears. Behind that he could make out a faint beeping sound which seemed to get steadily louder.

He finally turned, trying to locate the source of the sound. At first he wondered if it could have been a smoke detector of some sort, or some other alarm.

“Unngh!” he cried out in frustration. Where on Earth was it coming from?? Why wouldn't it stop? Was someone playing a trick on him?

“All right, that's it. Show yourself,” he said, trying to sound tough despite his trembling voice. After a moment had passed, he thought he located the source and began heading toward what looked like a sealed up section of the castle, perhaps a room that was no longer being used.

He slowly headed toward it when he suddenly heard a faint sound of footsteps echoing his own, as if someone were creeping up on him. So that was it, then – just a prank.

“Aha, I knew it!” he exclaimed, turning to face the prankster. “What gives you the ----- AHHHHHH!!!”

His scream died as the stuffed, hairy creature – which was now very much animated with glowing eyes – lunged forward, grabbing him by his throat. Gripped by white-hot pain as his consciousness slowly ebbed away, he somehow managed to catch sight of the source of the beeping sound: a small, metallic ball slowly rolling out from the opposite corner. It landed just next to him and was the last thing he saw before everything went black …

 


	2. One

_London, England_

_Two days later_

 

“Now, Jamie, remember what I told you about the 'Give Way' sign.”

“Ye don' have tae tell me, Doctor. Ye've already done so aboot fifty times already.”

“I'm just making sure you've got it down pat. Your driving examination is only a week from tomorrow. This isn't something that you can put down for a while and then instantly come back to later, you know.”

“Och, of course I know. Ye keep tellin' me,” Jamie muttered sarcastically to himself, rolling his eyes.

“Hm? What was that?”

Oops. Perhaps he should have kept that to himself. “Nothin',” he shrugged innocently.

“Look, Jamie. You expressed the desire to learn how to drive. If you don't appreciate my teaching methods you can find someone else to teach you ... Oh, good grief -- STOP SIGN!”

“Yah!” Jamie cried out, the Doctor's sudden shout causing him to jump in his seat. He quickly slammed on the brake as he nearly missed the 'Stop' sign in front of them.

“Haven't I told you to pay attention? You need to keep your eyes on the road whilst you're driving!”

“I _am_ payin' attention!”

“No, you weren't! If you were, you would have been able to stop in time. Your eyes must be on the road in front of you.”

“Well, that's a wee bit difficult when ye keep tellin' me tae do this an' that, an' make sure this thing is at the right number,” Jamie countered, pointing to the speedometer.

“All right. That's it,” the Doctor huffed. “We're heading back.”

“But Doctor --”

“No, that's quite enough for today.” The Doctor glanced at his watch. “It's gone half an hour since we started anyway.”

Jamie stared at him, slack-jawed.

“Come on, now. Turn her around.”

Jamie wordlessly did as he asked, piloting Bessie down the road and back to her usual resting place inside the garage at UNIT HQ. Once he'd parked her and turned off the ignition he held out the keys to the Doctor, who snatched them up.

“Thank you, Doctor,” he said awkwardly.

“Mm. We'll continue again tomorrow,” the Doctor replied coldly as he exited the car. “ _If_ I'm up to it,” he added just before storming off.

Jamie watched him go and then sighed, folding his arms atop the steering wheel. For the past couple of months, the Doctor had been kind enough to teach Jamie how to drive once a day. It was all so new to him at first, but the Doctor went slow and was patient. The further along they went, the lessons became more advanced and the Doctor seemed to become more irritating, badgering him about everything. It had really begun to get frustrating. If the Doctor wasn't such a dear friend, Jamie doubted he'd be able to keep his patience.

Perhaps he was being a bit too harsh. He was grateful to the Doctor for teaching him how to drive; on Bessie, no less. Jamie was worried enough about damaging that car, even a tiny scratch. She was his pride and joy. If anything, it showed Jamie how much the Time Lord trusted him. Kathryn had offered for him to learn on her car, but the Doctor insisted on being the one to teach him. Jamie surmised it was due to his fatherly instinct. After all, he had treated Jamie and Zoe (and Ben, Polly, and Victoria before her) as if they were his own kids.

Jamie wanted to learn how to drive ever since the Doctor had taken him, Kathryn and Jo for a ride in Bessie a few months back. He'd also begun to feel badly that Kathryn always had to drive whenever they went out and he wanted to be able to take up some of the responsibility.

Determined as ever to do well on this test and earn his driver's license, he reached into his sporran and pulled out the driving manual he'd had in his possession the past several months. Sighing, he thumbed through it until he arrived at the section on 'Give Way' signs.

* * *

 

Entering his lab, the Doctor removed his cape and hung it on the coat rack. As he sat heavily on one of the stools at the table, he sighed. A bit of guilt was eating at him for snapping at Jamie the way he did. He knew that learning to drive was an enormous undertaking, especially for someone like Jamie. Relatively speaking, it wasn't all that long ago that this eighteenth-century lad had been introduced to modern – in twentieth century Earth terms – technology. Hell, he'd once looked upon airplanes as 'flying beasties.'

The Doctor chuckled briefly upon the surface of that memory. Jamie had literally been a fish out of water. Thinking more about the way he acted moments ago, it only made him feel worse. He had to admit that Jamie had come along very well in his driving lessons but he seemed to dive into things so quickly, leaving the Doctor concerned that he wouldn't retain every bit of the information. He wanted him to do well so he could pass the test. Of chief importance were looking ahead to spot potentially dangerous situations and being focused, especially considering the way people in this city seemed to drive.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door swinging open to reveal Jo on the other side. She was carrying a tray containing a teapot and several cups. “Tea, Doctor?” she asked, smiling at him.

The Time Lord felt his lips twitch into a faint smile as he nodded. “Thank you, Jo,” he replied, holding his hand out and gratefully accepting the tea. “I could certainly use a good cup to ease these frazzled nerves.”

“I was just about to ask how it's going with the driving lesson.” The Doctor merely snorted in reply. “Was it really all that bad?”

The Doctor took a long sip of the tea and replaced the cup on the tabletop. “Oh, that young man seems quite frustrated. I'm not sure why exactly. I reckon he assumes this is something he can just pick up instantaneously. You know how headstrong Jamie is.”

Jo giggled softly. “Is Bessie alright?”

“Mm, yes.” Her curious expression prompted him to continue. “I kept the lesson to only half an hour, as always. I've made him go slow. Don't want the poor girl to take more than she can handle, you know.”

“Oh, no, of course not. But if you ask me, she's handled quite a bit over the time I've known her. Surely Jamie is not that much of a threat?” There was that twinkle in her eye; the one she got whenever she teased him in a slightly patronizing way.

“Perhaps not. But it's always better to be safe than sorry,” he replied with a playful smirk. “I'd vowed to stick to the basics of driving this entire time. I'm not showing him how to use any of her special features. They shall remain secret.”

An amused grin played across Jo's face. “You're not going to let him drive her at all?”

“Now, I didn't say that. If the situation ever arises, he may need to drive her. But I think he'd do well to acquire his own car eventually.”

Jo nodded. “Well, I'd better get back. I promised Mike some hot cocoa. I'll never hear the end of it if I don't get it to him in the next few minutes.” She rolled her eyes and the Doctor shared a grin with her.

“See you, Jo,” he told her kindly as she exited the lab. Taking another sip of his tea, the Doctor sighed. He was still feeling guilty about being so abrupt with Jamie, but the hot beverage and the little chat with Jo had helped him relax. Turning to his right, he noticed the folded up newspaper. He'd gotten hold of it this morning and never had a chance to actually read it. Well, now was as good a time as any …

Scanning the headlines, he frowned. It was the usual boring, non-newsworthy rubbish. He reckoned it must have been a slow news day. Flipping the page over, he was about to throw the paper back down when something caught his eye.

“Now, that's interesting ...”

 

* * *

 

Captain Yates' steaming hot cup of cocoa made, Jo set it down on the counter and began stirring it thoughtfully. As her mind wandered, she thought about what the Doctor had just said regarding Jamie and the driving lesson. It was more than obvious how frustrated he was, but she also found herself sympathizing with Jamie. She remembered how involved the process of learning to drive was back when she was doing it and, with Jamie being from the eighteenth century, she could imagine what a foreign concept it must have been to him.

A pair of footsteps interrupted her thoughts and she started a bit before turning in their direction. She found Jamie heading toward her, his eyes settling upon the pot of tea that sat next to the cocoa. Poor chap looked quite exhausted himself. She met his gaze, raising her eyebrows expectantly.

“Um … May I have some if it's no' too much trouble?” Jamie asked, pointing to it.

She found the bit of shyness in his demeanor endearing and smiled. “Of course it's no trouble, Jamie. I just made it moments ago and brought some to the Doctor.” She reached for a cup and poured him some.

“Aye,” Jamie replied glumly, accepting the cup from her. He took a long sip and set the cup back down, sighing. “I imagine he's said somethin' to ye aboot me an' my driving.”

“Well, yes, he did. He said you seemed quite frustrated.”

Jamie raised his eyebrows in shock. “Eh? He was the one who got frustrated wi' _me_!” Jo gazed at him curiously, hoping he would elaborate. “He kept tellin' me I wasnae keepin' my eyes on the road an' that I need tae pay attention to the 'Give Way' signs. Oh, an' he gave me a wee fright when he suddenly screamed 'STOP SIGN!'”

She couldn't help but giggle at Jamie's high-pitched, screechy impersonation of the Doctor.

“Well, ye know how he is,” he concluded a bit awkwardly, a faint blush staining his cheeks. He sighed again, this time sounding quite miserable.

Eyeing him sympathetically, Jo reached over to pat him on the arm. “Of course I do,” she said, grinning. “The Doctor is a lovely chap, believe me, but I'd be lying if I said there was never a time that he frustrated me.” Her eyes widened, a realization suddenly coming to her. “Oh, but don't ever tell him I said that.”

She watched Jamie's lips quirk into a faint, lopsided grin. “Of course I won't. Er … as long as ye don' tell him what I jus' said.”

Laughter bubbled up from Jo's throat. “Don't worry, Jamie. My lips are sealed.”

Jamie joined in her laughing and it pleased her knowing she had cheered him up. She hadn't realized that someone else has joined them until she heard the sound of a man clearing his throat. She turned to find Captain Yates gazing pointedly at her.

“I'll take that cocoa whenever you're ready,” he said a bit impatiently, a thin smile on his face.

Jo felt herself blush down to her toes as she finally remembered the cocoa she'd made for him just moments ago. Picking it up, she breathed a sigh of relief upon discovering it was still hot. “Sorry, Mike,” she said, gazing at him apologetically as she handed it to him.

“Quite alright,” he replied, his mouth twitching into a grin as he accepted the cup from her. He then turned to regard Jamie. “Got a little sidetracked?”

Jo quickly turned back to him. “Oh, no … we just … Jamie's had a hard time of it and wanted to chat.”

“Sorry I'm keepin' ye from yer cocoa, Captain Yates,” Jamie deadpanned while Jo tried hard to resist a grin.

“No, that's fine,” the other man started, as if he weren't expecting Jamie's remark. He then eyed the young Scot curiously. “Had a hard time of what, exactly?”

“Er, well -”

“Oh, right, the driving lessons.” The Captain forced a smile. “Well, it's something that takes quite a bit of practice. You keep at it, eh?” He reached out to pat Jamie's shoulder dispassionately before turning and setting off down the corridor, cup of cocoa in hand.

Jo gazed at his retreating form for a moment before a grumble from Jamie caught her attention. She turned back to catch him rolling his eyes. “That chappie is jus' fulla sunshine, isnae he.”

Jo laughed. “Don't listen to him, Jamie. And don't let the Doctor get to you too much either. I'm sure you're doing marvelously.”

Jamie ducked his head slightly and grinned, appearing a bit embarrassed. “If ye say so.” He looked back up at her, a seemingly grateful smile on his face. “Thanks fer listenin', Jo.”

“Of course,” she smiled. “Anytime you need to vent your frustration, I'm here to listen. And I don't fancy myself a traitor. I'll never say a word to the Doctor.” She gave him a little wink.

Jamie nodded. “Thank ye.” Giving her another smile, he sat down, sipping his tea.

Jo watched him for a moment before her gaze settled back upon the now empty teapot. Wondering if the Doctor was feeling better and if he was through with his tea, she decided to head back into the lab.

Entering the room, she smiled upon seeing him hunched over and reading the newspaper. He seemed quite engrossed in whatever he was reading and, if first impressions were anything to go by, looked as if he were in a better mood.

She wasn't keen on disturbing him but did so anyway, breaking the silence by clearing her throat.

The Doctor finally looked up, regarding her curiously.

“Feeling better?” she asked.

A faint smile twitched at the Time Lord's lips as he nodded. “Mm, yes indeed.” He then handed the empty cup to her. Smiling, she accepted it and turned to leave when he interrupted her.

“Oh, while you're here … have a look at this, Jo.”

He spread the newspaper out on the table and pointed to a specific page. Jo felt her brow furrow as she studied it. It was an article about strange occurrences at Glamis Castle in Scotland. It didn't mention what had happened exactly; just that they'd occurred during a recent tour of the castle and had left people baffled. A male tourist was apparently at the receiving end of this incident. Not a word was said about what happened to him, but his wife had been interviewed and seemed quite shaken. It also mentioned that the incident seemed to center around a certain object found on the tour of the castle: one of the animals that had been brought back to the castle during the Earl's hunting excursion. The quite vague and mysterious article then went on to describe bizarre occurrences the castle had experienced over the past few hundred years.

“Goodness, that is quite strange,” she told the Doctor, finally looking up at him.

“Isn't it? There are no details whatsoever on what exactly happened to this tourist. It's as though they're trying to keep this all very hush-hush. And it then leads in to a discussion of strange incidents throughout the castle's antiquity. It sort of reads like, 'Oh, yes, well, something very odd has happened but that's not unusual for this castle at all. Now, no further questions. Move along.”

Jo giggled briefly. “Well, I once heard rumors about that castle being haunted.”

The Doctor scoffed. “Oh, please. That's just ridiculous piffle. The famous castle from _Macbeth_? Surely it's no surprise there would be some romantic notion of it being haunted.”

Jo rolled her eyes and shook her head. “There you go again: that maddening, overly logical brain of yours. You can't entertain for just a moment the possibility of it being haunted?”

“Mm, no, I'm afraid I can't,” he replied seriously before turning to give her a playful little wink. He suddenly straightened up and affected a serious expression, as if a thought suddenly struck him. “I will admit the way that article was written ... All they mentioned was a strange occurrence had taken place. I can't help thinking something else is in play here. I've just got a funny feeling about it. It's as if they're trying to hide something.”

Jo studied the Doctor as he suddenly appeared deep in thought, grabbing the paper and staring at the article he'd just shown her. She had to admit she was quite curious about it as well. Even if it wasn't haunted, something strange had happened in that castle and they were being quite cagey about it.

 

* * *

 

_April 5, 1972_

 

Sitting down on the sofa in her lounge with a sigh, Kathryn sorted through her mail. Most of it was advertisements, a couple of bills, and a belated Easter card from her Aunt Molly. She'd just gotten off work and was glad to be home. It had been a long day, although her thoughts had been quite preoccupied with the fact that Jamie was taking his driving test today. She wished she could have been there for him but was unable to get the day off. He'd seemed disappointed, but insisted it was alright and that he would let her know what happened. Truth be told, she was sure he would pass. Despite the time he was really from, he seemed to learn quickly and was passionate about learning to drive.

Kathryn had some ideas of how to celebrate with him (or, in the worst case scenario, to cheer him up). Easter had just passed and she was thinking of taking a few days for a holiday. That notion inspired one idea in particular, the thought of which made her smile. She wondered if Jamie would be up for it. Given the details, she assumed he would be; at least she hoped so. She stopped and silently admonished herself to not think so far ahead. After all, she still didn't know what had happened yet.

The sudden sound of a knock on her window swiftly brought her back to reality, making her to jump. Turning, she eyed Jamie peering inside at her, proudly holding up a sheet of paper and pointing to it. The triumphant smile on his face was all she needed to know about the outcome. She couldn't stop the huge grin that spread across her own face. She gestured to him to come around to the front door so she could let him inside her flat.

Opening the door, she let out a surprised squeak as he rushed inside and crushed her in a big hug.

“I did it, lass!! I did it!” he exclaimed excitedly.

Kathryn giggled awkwardly. She loved him and was really proud of him, but his jubilation apparently left him unaware of his own strength and he was literally crushing her.

He seemed to finally take notice and moved back, smoothing down her hair and gazing at her contritely. “Sorry,” he muttered.

Kathryn couldn't hold back the laughter that bubbled up from her stomach. Reaching up slightly, she put her arms around him and enveloped him in a soft hug. “I knew you'd do it, Jamie. I knew you'd pass,” she told him before capturing his lips in a kiss. She stepped back and gazed at him proudly. “I'm just sorry I was unable to get off work to be there with you.”

“'Tis all right, lass,” he replied, smiling tenderly at her. “Ben let me take it on his car. He said he'd celebrate wi' me at the pub afterward, but I told him I wanted tae let ye know first.” He suddenly stopped and gazed around the room, almost as if he was concerned Ben had supersonic hearing and could somehow hear them. “Tae tell the truth, I'd much rather spend the evening here with you an' not in some pub filled wi' drunks.” He gave her a cheeky grin.

She chuckled softly and smiled. “Would you like to have dinner with me? I haven't thought much yet about what to make, but I've got some chicken I can dress up and put in the oven. Then perhaps we can go to the pub ...” She trailed off, catching his mock wide-eyed, almost exasperated, expression. Uttering a short laugh, she held up a hand in surrender. “Only for one celebratory drink. I'm not about to pull a 'Ben Jackson' on you, so, not to worry.”

Jamie smiled affectionately at her and nodded. “Aye, I wouldnae mind that.” He then looked down at the paper in his hand and showed it to her again. “This is jus' a certificate stating I passed. They said I can expect tae receive my license in a few weeks.” He nodded again, obviously proud of himself.

Kathryn nodded and smiled, endeared by his adorable behavior. “We'll do some actual celebrating over the weekend, and perhaps the early part of next week.”

Jamie regarded her curiously, his brow furrowing in confusion.

“Oh, I didn't tell you! I got some holiday time approved for next Monday through Wednesday. I reckoned we should take a little holiday to celebrate. I know of a marvelous place we can visit.”

“Where?”

Kathryn's smile grew even more, threatening to crack her face in half. He was sure to like this.

“Glamis Castle!”

 

   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here are a couple of pics to go with this chapter. First is the Doctor giving Jamie driving lessons in Bessie (I think you can tell Jamie is getting a bit frustrated, lol). The next one is Jamie and Jo with Captain Yates (who's waiting for his cocoa) inside UNIT HQ. Again I know my Photoshop skills are really basic but I just had to make these. :)


	3. Two

“Eh? Glamis?” Jamie returned, his expression devoid of any recognition. “Never heard of that castle.”

It was now Kathryn's turn to be confused. Surely he had to have been at least somewhat familiar with it, given where he was from? Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “Wait, where in the Highlands are you from?”

“My family was originally from Skye,” Jamie replied, his brows drawing together as if he were trying to figure out where she was going with this. “It's an island off the northwest of Scotland.”

“Mm. So you didn't venture too far away from that area, I take it? I mean, the Northwest Highlands.”

“No, not unless ye count Culloden.”

Kathryn nodded, a realization dawning on her. It all made sense now.

“So where is this castle, then?”

“It's in the Angus region of Scotland. Um … to the east and quite a bit south of Aberdeen.”

Jamie nodded. “Aye. So, no' in the Highlands. I've never been tae that place before.”

Another thought suddenly came to Kathryn. “I'm surprised you don't know anything about it. It's the famous castle from _Macbeth_.”

“Eh?”

She gaped at him in disbelief. “You haven't read any Shakespeare at all, Jamie?” She caught a bright blush across his face just before he looked away in embarrassment. Immediately feeling a twinge of guilt, she drew closer to him and touched his arm. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just assumed.”

“'S all right,” he said, turning back to her with a sheepish smile. “I don' much like tae admit it, but I didnae know how tae read very well when I first met the Doctor. He and Ben an' Polly taught me. They said I picked it up quickly.”

She smiled proudly at him. “I'm sure that you did.”

He blushed again. “The Doctor introduced me to the TARDIS library an' I found some good books in there. I remember seein' books by this Shakespeare fella but I never took it upon m'self to read them. Victoria liked tae read them an' would tell me aboot them, but I don' remember that one.”

“Well, I can tell you all about it before we go … If you're still interested in going, that is.”

Kathryn watched his awkward expression fade, replaced by an affectionate smile. “Of course I am, lass.” She felt as though she would melt into a puddle as he leaned into her and put an arm around her shoulder. He then moved back slightly to kiss her on the cheek, causing her to beam happily.

“One of my friends at work has a brother who's a travel agent. He gave me some information on nearby accommodations,” she told him happily, feeling her excitement grow. “Oh, I'm really looking forward to going! I've never explored Scotland much before.”

He gazed at her in apparent confusion. “I thought ye told me you were half Scots.”

“I am, but I've only been there several times on holiday when I was very young. My dad and his family lived near Glasgow, so I haven't ventured much beyond that area.”

Jamie nodded. His eyes then seemed to glaze over, appearing as if he were about a hundred miles away.

Drawing closer still, Kathryn gazed at him in concern. “You all right?”

Jamie blinked and made eye contact with her. “Aye. Sorry aboot that. It just hit me how long it's been since I was in Scotland. I ...” His voice seemed to falter and she caught sight of a small tear rolling down his cheek. Feeling her heart overflowing in sympathy, Kathryn reached over to hug him, wiping the tear away with her thumb. A slight, tentative smile tugged at his lips as he stepped back, uttering a sheepish laugh. “Ye must find me daft.”

“No, not at all,” she replied, gazing sadly at him. “To miss your old home? Don't even think of it.” She lowered her gaze to her hands and felt her cheeks flush. “I already rang up one of the hotels and told them we might be interested, but I had to check the dates with you. I can always ring them back and cancel. I don't want this to be too emotional for you, Jamie. All I want is for you to be happy.” She reached over to stroke his hair.

“Ye don' have tae do that, lass,” he replied softly. “As long as I'm with you I'm happy.” Jamie's sweet smile touched her deeply, making her melt. “It'll be good tae spend a wee bit of time back in Scotland.” He then sighed. “At least it's no' Culloden.”

Smiling, she gathered him into another little hug. “Thank you, Jamie. I'm so glad you're up for going with me. I thought we were both in need of a holiday and getting your driving license is something to celebrate.”

He nodded. “I should be the one tae offer thanks, Kathryn. Yer such a thoughtful, bonnie lass.”

Kathryn beamed at him. She then turned toward the kitchen. “I'll ring back the hotel and confirm that we will be staying.” Suddenly remembering the brochure she'd taken from the agent, she held it up to him. “Actually, it's a bed-and-breakfast.”

“Eh?”

She chuckled. “It's sort of like a guest house. You get a lovely room, and they serve you breakfast with the other guests in a main dining room.”

“Oh,” Jamie replied, nodding thoughtfully.” She handed the brochure to him and then excused herself, heading for the telephone in the kitchen.

 

* * *

 

Jamie watched Kathryn leave the room and then regarded the brochure curiously, unfolding the pages to read it. It was a “bed-and-breakfast” establishment called The Rosewood. Gazing at the photos of the building, its interior and the surrounding grounds, Jamie decided it looked quite nice. He'd begun to read the text as well, boasting comfortable accommodations and “warm Scottish hospitality.” His mind began to trail off and he found himself thinking more about his generous, thoughtful girlfriend.

Turning, he caught a faint glimpse of her in her kitchen, still on the phone. He felt his lips lift into a fond smile. Her excitement over this prospective holiday was so endearing. Yes, he still found himself a bit emotional over the prospect of returning to his homeland, but decided he'd cast his own emotions aside. For all her talk of wanting him to be happy, all he cared about was that she herself was happy. Besides, this area of Scotland wasn't technically his home and he could rest assured he wouldn't encounter anything that would conjure up unpleasant memories of Culloden.

He was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of footsteps returning. Lifting his gaze, his eyes focused on Kathryn quickly making her way toward him, a satisfied smile on her face.

“Our accommodations are booked. We'll be arriving Saturday and returning on Tuesday,” she told him.

Jamie nodded thoughtfully. “I just thought of somethin' … It's quite a long way from here tae Scotland. How are we gannae get there?”

She blinked. “By train, of course. I suppose we could drive, but it would take over eight hours to get there. The train is not that much quicker, but at least that way we could just relax and not have to worry about any traffic headaches.”

“An' how much quicker would the train be?”

“By about an hour or so.”

Jamie nodded, his lips drawing into a pensive line. “Mm. It's a shame we cannae take the TARDIS there. Would be a much shorter trip.” He felt his mouth quirk into a slight grin.

Kathryn gazed at him curiously for a moment and then chuckled as if finally catching onto his train of thought.

“Well, it would be, if not for the fact that it's impossible,” he continued. “Ye see, the Doctor still can't get it tae fly. Not tae mention it didnae always take us where we wanted tae go. Perhaps we'd end up in a much different place … like Tibet.” She giggled at his little joke, which caused his smile to widen for a moment before he shrugged. “He'd probably object tae us doin' it anyway.”

“You don't know that,” she joked.

“Oh, aye, I do,” he nodded, followed by a little wink. He sighed, his thoughts returning to this Glamis Castle she wanted to visit. “Might ye be able tae tell me a wee bit aboot this castle?”

“Well, of course it was the setting for _Macbeth_. Elizabeth the Queen Mother had lived there as a child. I believe it's been in their family for about six or seven hundred years.” She faltered as if struggling to remember some more details before finally shaking her head. “I'll tell you more about it on the train ride. What I'm most interested in are the legends behind it. I've read that people have seen ghosts there.”

Upon hearing this, Jamie gazed at her in amusement. “I didnae know ye believed in ghosts,” he said, a hint of teasing in his voice as he grinned at her.

A bright blush stained Kathryn's cheeks as he watched her gaze drop to the floor. “It's something that's fascinated me as a child, and I suppose still does to this day. I used to read novels about ghost stories, watch creepy films, that sort of thing. Although I've never seen a ghost myself, I'm not completely convinced they don't exist.” She trailed off sheepishly and he noticed her blush had brightened even more. “Now you must think _I'm_ daft.”

Jamie studied her for a moment before his lips twitched into an affectionate smile. “Of course I don't,” he told her. In truth, he admired her for admitting this and felt somewhat relieved to hear it. Jamie was quite a spiritual person himself due to his upbringing and the values instilled in him since he was a child. After all, he'd once mistaken a Cyberman for the Phantom Piper. Not only that, but all his time spent traveling with the Doctor had taught him that practically nothing was impossible (even if the Doctor himself didn't hold much belief in the spiritual realm).

He noticed the sweet, almost grateful smile on her face as she returned her gaze to him. “Well, thank you. I feel a lot better now after admitting that.” She giggled nervously, earning a fond chuckle from him. “Some months back, I read an article about such an encounter in the castle. A guest staying there during a wedding had a ghostly encounter.” She paused, as if trying to remember some of the details. “Something about a huge, hairy beast of a man just starting at her as she was in bed.”

Jamie's eyes widened. “A huge, hairy beast, ye say?” The mention gave him pause, suddenly rekindling some not-so-pleasant memories of several encounters he, the Doctor, and Victoria had had once upon a time.

Kathryn nodded. “Yes. Apparently they believed it was the spirit of a man called Earl Beardie, who was known for having a big, red beard. There was a legend that he insisted upon gambling late on the Sabbath, even with the Devil himself.”

Jamie shook his head in disapproval. “Och. That's no good.”

A ghost of an amused smile danced upon Kathryn's face for a moment. “It was said that he was cursed to gamble for all eternity with the Devil and sounds of his swearing and shouting could be heard inside the castle, but he's been sighted as well.” She shrugged. “The article mentioned that the woman probably heard the legends and it was the product of an overactive imagination. I suppose it's possible, but who really knows, right?”

Jamie nodded but his thoughts quickly returned to the “hairy beast.” Although it was obvious this was something different, he couldn't help dwelling on it, as if he got a bad feeling. Perhaps it was just his imagination. Shaking his head, he finally decided to put it out of his mind once and for all and focus on preparing for this holiday. Goodness, they were only leaving in three days. What do you bring on holidays such as this? No doubt Kathryn would be able to help him there as well. He now had something more important to occupy his thoughts.

* * *

 

The Doctor stood in his lab, hunched over the TARDIS console. He was once again working on the dematerialization circuit, although somewhat absentmindedly. Of course he hadn't come up with any new ideas to get it working again. He was merely tinkering with it just to pass the time. Things had been relatively quiet for quite a long stretch and he wasn't used to that. That should have been a good thing, of course, but at the moment the Doctor was utterly bored.

Dematerialization circuit or not, he welcomed any distraction. His wish was granted by the sound of approaching footsteps. Straightening up, he turned to find Jamie walking into the room. He seemed to be in a quite cheerful mood, even whistling happily. The Doctor was pleased to see it, perhaps even a touch amused.

“Well, you're certainly in a good mood, my lad.”

Jamie stopped and regarded the Time Lord curiously for a moment before shrugging. “Aye. I suppose I am.”

“Still over the moon about passing your driving test, hm? I certainly would not expect less.” He smiled fondly at Jamie. “I knew you could do it.”

The corner of Jamie's mouth lifted into a cheeky grin. “Aye, despite all the badgering ye gave me the past few weeks, eh?”

The Doctor felt his smile fade and then turn into a startled frown. “Now just a moment. If it weren't for my 'constant badgering', as you put it, you may never have –“

“Sorry, Doctor, I'm just havin' ye on,” Jamie chuckled, holding up a hand in surrender. “I owe ye for teaching me tae drive in the first place an' for bein' so patient with me.”

The Time Lord smiled again and reached over to pat him on the shoulder. “Think nothing of it, my lad.”

Jamie smiled gratefully and nodded. “Well, it's no' the only reason I'm so happy. Kathryn's takin' me on a wee holiday tae celebrate.”

That news warmed the Doctor's hearts. Kathryn was a sweet girl and it pleased him to see that she made Jamie so happy. “Oh, how nice. Is there anywhere in particular you're thinking of going?”

“Aye,” Jamie replied with a proud smile. “Scotland.”

The Doctor's eyebrows nearly leaped off his forehead. “Oh.” It certainly wasn't out of the question that Jamie might want to go back there sometime for a visit, but the admission still wasn't something he was expecting. He wasn't sure Jamie would be up for visiting a place to which he had such an emotional connection.

Jamie met his gaze and seemed to read his mind. “Don' worry, it's not Culloden or anywhere near there. Kathryn said it's south of Aberdeen.”

“Oh, somewhere in Aberdeenshire, perhaps? Or the Angus region?”

“Aye, that second one,” Jamie replied, nodding. “We're gannae visit Glamis Castle.”

Suddenly remembering that newspaper article he read about the odd occurrence at that castle, the Doctor felt a sense of dread welling up inside him. “Oh ... Jamie, do you really think you want to visit that castle?” he said awkwardly. “I mean, you've probably seen quite a few of them in the Highlands alone. If you've seen one castle, you've seen them all ...”

“No, Doctor, I've never been tae this place before. Kathryn told me it's got some interesting history and legends surrounding it. She even said people had seen ghosts there.”

“Yes, that would be the problem, wouldn't it,” the Doctor muttered. He'd hoped the young Scot hadn't heard him, but unfortunately that didn't seem to be the case.

“I don' understand, Doctor. Why shouldnae we visit this castle?”

“Well, I just don't think you'll find it that interesting, that's all,” the Doctor replied, looking away. He dropped his gaze to his hands and began fidgeting with the frilly cuff of one of his shirtsleeves.

For several seconds, it was quiet. Finally he heard a sigh and looked up to find Jamie standing next to him, eyeing him pointedly. “Doctor, yer actin' a bit strange. I know ye better than anyone. Now what's the matter?”

Jamie's stare was unrelenting and the Doctor finally sighed, heading towards the table and picking up the article which he'd saved from the newspaper. “There you are,” he said, handing the article to Jamie.

He watched Jamie scan the article, his brow furrowing in confusion. “A strange occurrence took place at the castle over a week ago. That's all?” He looked back up at the Doctor curiously. “They don' even explain what happened. For all we know the man could've jus' seen somethin' that frightened him. They didnae say anything aboot it bein' unsafe.”

The Doctor met his gaze. “I know that, Jamie. But that's the problem. They're quite vague about the entire incident. They don't say anything about what happened to that man. They only mentioned his wife being quite shaken. Don't you find that just a bit odd?”

Jamie shrugged. “No.”

The Doctor gazed at him in frustration. He doubted there was any way he could make Jamie understand, but he had to try. “It seems as though they're trying to cover something up, otherwise they would have been more forthcoming about what happened. I've just got a funny feeling about it, Jamie. I want you to be safe.”

Jamie seemed to study him for a long moment and then sighed. “Kathryn already made the plans tae go an' we're leaving in a couple of days. I'll see if I can talk her out of takin' the tour. Perhaps there's somethin' else we can do. I'm just no' happy aboot disappointing her. She seemed so excited aboot it.”

His glum tone saddened the Time Lord. Even though he wasn't too comfortable with the idea of them going, he still didn't want to ruin their plans. “All right. Don't let me put a damper on anything. Go and have a good time.” He forced a smile. “I only ask that you bring one of the hand held communicators with you, just in case anything strange does happen. Can you do that for me?”

Jamie gave him a little smile and nodded. “Aye, Doctor. Ye mean like the one I used tae contact ye – I mean, the other you I was with before – tae let ye know I was all right?”

“Yes, that's the one. The Brigadier can provide you with one. If you keep it stowed away in your luggage no one will suspect.”

“Thanks for lookin' out for us, Doctor.”

“Of course, my lad.” He reached over and pat Jamie on the shoulder. “You two have a splendid time, you hear me?”

Jamie's smile was one of pure gratitude as he nodded. The Doctor went back over to the TARDIS console, briefly looking over his shoulder to see Jamie still standing there, watching him. Finally he turned and left after a few moments without a further word. The Doctor watched him go and went back to the console. As he picked at the circuits, that funny feeling about Glamis Castle began nagging at him once again. He really hoped it was nothing and that Jamie and Kathryn would be in no danger.

 


	4. Three

Their long journey to Scotland finally having come to an end, Kathryn and Jamie got settled into their room at the Rosewood. Kathryn set to work unpacking her clothes and hanging them up in the wardrobe. They had taken the train early that morning from London's Kings Cross to Dundee, and then took a half an hour bus ride to the bed-and-breakfast. The train ride had been smooth, accented by some lovely scenery, but a bit tedious nonetheless. To pass the time, Kathryn had started telling Jamie more about Glamis Castle, its history and the legends behind it, and even about the reports of strange activity.

Finally having put all her clothes away, she afforded another glance around the room and sighed happily. It was located on the second floor and they'd had to climb a gorgeous, carved dark wood staircase to get there. The room itself was done in rose and cream, with rose damask bedding atop the two beds inside: a small, single bed and a somewhat larger full-size bed. It presented a cheery, yet almost regal atmosphere with some dark mahogany antique furniture.

Not long after they'd entered, she'd caught Jamie eyeing the bedding with a grimace on his face. Kathryn thought she knew what his reaction was about but questioned him anyway. He'd blushed and admitted the room seemed much more suitable for lassies for his tastes. She frowned, although truth be told was quite amused by the idea of her boyfriend feeling his manliness being threatened by staying in such a 'girly' room.

“Then perhaps you'd prefer to sleep outside on the ground? I reckon you're man enough to handle it,” she'd countered, giving him a playful smirk.

“Hey, now, I didnae say that,” he retorted. She found a dimple peeking out of the corner of his mouth as his lips lifted into a rakish grin and he playfully nudged her. “I was just havin' ye on, lass. As long as yer happy with it, that's all that matters tae me.” Smiling sweetly at her, he stepped back and began stroking her hair.

“Well, thank you,” she replied with a mock smugness. Her smirk softened into a fond smile. “I'm so lucky to have such a thoughtful, accommodating boyfriend.” She leaned forward, giving him a quick kiss on the lips.

“Of course,” he smiled. He then glanced around the room. “'Tis a lovely room. And the owners seem very nice.”

Kathryn nodded, agreeing the couple who owned and operated the establishment were quite warm and friendly. She was no stranger to Scottish hospitality before, having experienced it whenever she spent holidays at her father's hometown. It was nice to experience it again after all these years.

Taking a seat on the larger bed, she smiled as Jamie sat next to her. He'd returned her smile and then seemed a bit distracted, gazing at his watch. “It's aboot four o'clock now. Do ye have any ideas aboot what we should do?” he asked.

As she gazed at his sweet face and into his eyes, she tried hard to resist the urge to grab him and knock him over onto the bed, kissing him all over. The very idea nearly made her blush all the way down to her toes, but -- she very much wanted to do this. After all, they'd been a couple for nearly four months now. Even given her previous hesitancy regarding jumping into a relationship, Jamie had proven what a genuine, kind-hearted – not to mention wonderful – bloke he was.

She realized she'd just talked herself out of her reservations.

Before Jamie could react, she'd turned and grabbed him with such force she knocked him over and he'd tumbled onto the bed.

“Oof!” he uttered before she covered his lips with hers and kissed him hungrily. She'd just barely noticed Jamie's eyes widening in apparent shock but that only seemed to last a few moments. He'd finally relaxed and deepened the kiss, wrapping his own arms around her as if to pin her to him.

That familiar tingle she'd felt since she'd first met him was back but more like a firecracker igniting deep inside herself. Feeling the endorphins coursing through her body, she uttered a soft moan. How she'd ached to be this close to him. Granted, they weren't making love just yet; Jamie as old-fashioned as he was had once said he didn't want to be dishonorable. She was a bit surprised to hear this at first but wasn't about to complain; she herself had yet to let go of the last of her inhibitions borne out of her tumultuous relationship with Tom. She was confident they would get there, though. As it was, she was enjoying these moments with him. Just being close to him in any capacity was something she cherished.

She finally heard Jamie gasp, as if trying to catch his breath. Reluctantly she separated from him and eased up slightly. He was panting and gazing at her with what appeared to be some leftover shock, perhaps even bewilderment. She wouldn't allow herself to feel mortified but still hoped she hadn't come on too strong for him.

Her worries were quickly dashed as she found a slight smile twitching at his lips and spreading into a wide grin, his expression affectionate with a hint of naughtiness. “Well. I certainly wasnae expecting _that_ ,” he drawled. “Not that I'm complainin', mind you.” He gave her a wink and then sat up himself, wrapping his arms around her once more and capturing her lips in a tender kiss.

“Ye continue tae surprise me, lass,” he chuckled. He then turned and ran a finger through his fringe, tossing it back slightly from his face. She could keep from grinning at how askew it now was across his forehead.

Jamie apparently caught on and self-consciously smoothed it down some, which made her grin even more. He was so adorable, even if he didn't intend to be. She then watched him turn and pick up a few of the brochures they'd brought with them. He'd found the one for Glamis Castle and showed it to her. “Would ye like tae go there an' take a tour, perhaps before dinner?”

Accepting the brochure from him, she scanned it for the relevant information and frowned. “I'm afraid we can't,” she replied, shaking her head. “The last tour ended at three o'clock. They start again tomorrow morning at ten, so why don't we have a nice breakfast here, see if we have time to do anything else, and then take the first tour?”

“Aye, sounds perfect, lass,” Jamie replied, grinning. He then looked down at the other brochures in his lap, picking them up and giving them another read. She watched his brow knit thoughtfully as he read one in particular. “Perhaps this might be a nice place we can spend the rest of today?” Raising his eyebrows expectantly, he handed it to her.

Kathryn took it from him and as soon as she laid eyes upon it, felt her face crack open in a huge smile.

“Perfect!”

 

* * *

 

The soft glow of twilight that shone through the window dimmed slightly as Jamie switched on the light in their hotel room. Taking a seat on the edge of the smaller bed, he sighed and bent down to untie his boots. Recalling how he and Kathryn had spent the rest of the day, he smiled. They had visited a large 'wildlife preserve' that was open until dusk. They had taken in some interesting scenery and wildlife, including birds, other small animals, different kinds of plants and the like. They also had a lovely view of the Grampian Mountains off in the distance. Watching the sun go down and creating a beautiful, yet haunting glow on the horizon, Jamie decided that if this wasn't Heaven, it was very close. Of course, sharing it with Kathryn helped make that a reality. He was so glad they'd decided to pick this place to visit, and she seemed to be glad as well.

After visiting the park, they then had dinner at a small, nearby restaurant which served some quite good food. As they were leaving, they'd spotted a piper outside dressed in full regalia playing his pipes. Listening to the man play, Jamie stood silently, concentrating hard in order to recognize the song. The fact that he couldn't quite make it out left him a bit frustrated, but the sound of the pipes being played didn't make him feel any less emotional.

He and the rest of the small crowd applauded as the piper finished and thanked them. He then took notice of Jamie, asking him if he played. Not expecting this, Jamie had started a bit but nodded, telling the piper he played but had not done so for quite some time. This didn't seem to deter the older man at all and he'd reached out to hand Jamie his pipes. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Jamie shook his head, thanking the man but saying he'd need to brush up on his skills. “Perhaps another time,” he'd told him.

As they walked away, he noticed a mock pout on Kathryn's face before she told him she would have liked to hear him play. She seemed to be joking, but he could also hear some disappointment in her voice as well. Feeling a warmth rise up in his cheeks, Jamie told her he wasn't prepared to do so; it'd been a while since he'd last played. Besides, he'd rather play with his own pipes, which, sadly, he no longer had with him. She made him promise to play them for her sometime and he finally agreed. Perhaps when they got back to London, he would be able to fulfill his promise. He was optimistic he'd find his chanter in the least ...

Having removed his boots, Jamie settled back onto the single bed and sighed. Ever the gentleman, he'd insisted that Kathryn take the larger, full-sized bed for herself. At first she would have none of it, but he wouldn't back down and insisted she be comfortable, even though she was smaller than he was. He had reaffirmed that he only wanted the best to her. Not about to argue with that, thankfully, she finally gave in and accepted.

Dressed in an attractive, frilly nightgown, she approached him and sat softly on the edge of his bed. Jamie rose, sitting up on his elbows. As he got a good look at her in the dim light cast by the end table lamp, he couldn't help smiling at her.

“Och, you are so pretty,” he'd told her for perhaps the hundredth time since he'd first known her.

And she'd briefly looked away, blushing with a sheepish smile, as she'd probably done for the hundredth time as well.

“An' after all this time, I still make ye turn as red as a beet whenever I say that,” he teased.

“And you're still taking the piss out of me for it,” she replied.

“Eh??”

His reaction apparently made her laugh. “I mean you're still teasing me over it!”

“Oh, aye.” His confusion melted away and he smiled at her fondly. “So, are ye havin' a good time so far?”

“Uh huh,” she replied, nodding with a sweet smile. “And are you all right with being back in Scotland?” Her smile faded a bit and her expression seemed tinged with concern.

“Aye, I'm fine. As I said, I'd never been here before. It's nice tae explore other parts of Scotland. An' bein' here with you makes it even better.”

She returned his broad grin and the next thing he knew, she had gathered him in a hug, broken only when she stepped back to capture his lips in another tender kiss.

They finally let go of one another and Jamie gazed lovingly into her eyes.

“See you in the morning, Jamie.”

“Good night, Kathryn,” he returned, his eyes never leaving her as she left his side and crossed the room toward her own bed. Comforted by the warm feeling of her being in his arms, he switched off the lamp and let himself be consumed by sleep.

 

* * *

 

Opening the lab door and peering inside, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart frowned. The Doctor was still bent over that TARDIS console, picking away at it. It didn't seem as though he would actually get it fixed, so it was obvious his full attention wasn't on it. His mind seemed to be elsewhere the past couple of days or so. The Brigadier surmised it had to do with his former (or was that once again current?) companion and his girlfriend. Yes, McCrimmon had ended up none the worse for wear during the Drix situation several months back, but the young man came through it fine. Grinning, the Brigadier surmised he must have nine lives, much like a cat.

Whatever the case, he wasn't keen on seeing the Doctor this way. He had to take his mind off whatever was bothering him.

“Oh, Doctor. There you are.”

“Here I am, Brigadier,” the Doctor muttered in reply, not taking his eyes away from the object of his attention. “Did you expect to find me anywhere else?”

“No, I didn't, actually,” he replied, his lips lifting into a thin smile. “That's what concerns me.”

That seemed to get the Doctor's attention. He straightened up and strode away from the console, taking a seat at the table and eyeing him curiously. The Brigadier remained in one spot, trying to come up with something to distract him. “Well, I was just chatting with Sergeant Benton and we think we may have found something unusual once again in the vicinity of Devil's End. It might be worth checking into.”

“Mm,” the Doctor simply muttered, his back to the Brigadier once again and appearing to be staring at some random spot on the tabletop.

The Brigadier finally took a few steps across the room and stopped at the Doctor's side, eyeing him in frustration. He wasn't sure how much time had passed when the Time Lord finally turned and regarded him with some frustration of his own.

“What is the real reason for your visit, Lethbridge-Stewart?” he asked, giving the other man a piercing stare.

The Brigadier sighed, feeling a bit stupid for thinking the Doctor would believe him. “All right. If you don't mind my saying so, you've seemed rather preoccupied lately, Doctor. It's become a bit troubling.”

The Doctor had briefly looked away and when he turned back, he had a sort of sheepish – perhaps contrite – expression on his face. He uttered a humorless chuckle. “Yes, I suppose I have been rather … lost in thought. Perhaps a bit too much for my own good.” The Brigadier quirked an eyebrow, his way of prompting the Doctor to continue. “I've just been thinking about Jamie and his girl. After reading that report in the paper several weeks ago about the occurrences at that castle, I can't help being concerned.”

The Brigadier nodded. “I understand. But I'm sure they'll be just fine.” He forced a smile. “I gave McCrimmon one of the communicators just to be safe, but I highly doubt they'll need it. To be frank, I gave it to him mainly to give you some peace of mind.”

A pensive frown appeared on the Doctor's face. “Yes, I can always count on you for that, Brigadier,” he said dryly.

Growing frustrated once again, the Brigadier felt his thin smile morph into a frown of his own. His attempts to cheer the Doctor up all for naught, he was about to leave when he watched the Doctor look beyond him, eyebrows raised. Turning, he noticed Captain Yates at his side. He offered the Captain a look of surprise, not even noticing when he'd shown up.

“The Brigadier is right, Doctor. I'm sure they'll be fine,” he chimed in. “They were planning on visiting Glamis Castle, weren't they?”

“Mm, yes,” the Doctor confirmed.

Yates nodded. An amused grin suddenly lit up his face and the Brigadier resisted the urge to groan. “There are all sorts of interesting stories surrounding that castle. I remember hearing a story about a woman who saw something so awful there, it completely petrified her. She got so scared, her hair had turned white and she never spoke a word again for the rest of her life.” The Captain chuckled, seemingly pleased with himself for sharing this anecdote. “'Course it was just a story, mind you, but the place seems quite notorious for bizarre happenings.”

“I'm so pleased you find that amusing, Captain Yates!” the Doctor suddenly snapped, glaring angrily.

The Brigadier's eyebrows shot up and he regarded the Doctor in surprise. Admittedly, the Captain's comment wasn't the most tactful given the current circumstances, but he still hadn't been expecting the Doctor's reaction. Turning back to Yates, he found a look of surprise on his face as well.

“Are you all right, Doctor?” the Captain asked in a small voice.

The Doctor sighed and shook his head wearily. “Ever since I read that article about that strange occurrence at the castle, I've had a funny feeling about it. It's only got worse since Jamie told me he and Kathryn were planning to visit it. I don't want them to be in harm's way.”

The Brigadier nodded. “We understand, Doctor.” He then turned to regard Captain Yates pointedly. “Don't we.”

The Captain nodded, blushing faintly.

The Doctor still appeared discontent. “Is there something you wished to speak to me about?” he asked, addressing Yates.

The Captain shrugged, still seeming taken aback by the Time Lord's reaction. “Well, there was something I wished to tell you, but it can wait,” he mumbled sheepishly just before turning on his heel and the leaving the room.

The Brigadier watched him go and then turned back to the Doctor, who now appeared a bit sheepish himself. “I feel badly about snapping at him like that, but it could not be helped. You of all people know I'm not one to buy into superstition and all that sort of mumbo-jumbo, but this funny feeling keeps eating at me. Why would they be so secretive about what happened at Glamis? Could they be hiding something really awful so as to avoid negative publicity?” He sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face. “I only want Jamie and Kathryn to be safe, Brigadier. If only there was some way I could talk them out of visiting that castle.”

The Brigadier gazed at him sympathetically, wishing there was more he could do to reassure the Doctor that his companions would be just fine. “Doctor, I promise you they will be safe. We'll be on standby just in case we hear from them and something has indeed happened.” His lips twitched into a ghost of a smile. “Try not to make yourself mad over it. They will be fine. I'm sure of it.”

“Mm. I really hope you're right,” the Doctor replied after a pause. His tone seemed a bit more optimistic than before, but that wasn't saying very much.

All the Brigadier could do was nod just before leaving the room. As he turned to look back at the Doctor, he really hoped he was right as well.

 

* * *

 

“... And through here is the Drawing Room.”

Jamie nodded and, holding hands with Kathryn, followed the tour guide and the rest of their group into a large, ornately decorated room with various portraits on the walls. Having had a delicious breakfast earlier in the bed-and-breakfast's dining room, they'd decided to spend a brief time outside, taking in the glorious Scottish sunrise before attending the castle's first tour of the day. Their group wasn't especially large, about eighteen people or so, and the tour guide was doing a lovely job introducing them to the story of the castle and its inhabitants.

Once they'd all entered the Drawing Room, the guide started talking about the history of the room and its use. Jamie's interest began to wane as the guide stepped over toward several woman's gowns hanging on mannequins. He'd said something about who was believed to have worn them and the style. Feeling himself growing bored, Jamie began fidgeting and looking back toward the door.

Kathryn seemed to notice and nudged him. Turning to her, he found her rolling her eyes. “Looking for an escape, are you?” she teased him quietly, a slight smirk on her face.

Jamie smiled sheepishly at her. “Sorry,” he replied, barely above a whisper as he leaned into her. “I'm just no' that interested in lassies' clothes. I mean, it's nothin' out of the ordinary for me. I've seen plenty of dresses like that in my own time--”

Kathryn quickly shushed him as a few fellow tour goers suddenly walked past. Jamie quickly slapped on an innocent smile and nodded to them with an awkward “Hello.” He sighed in relief, realizing they didn't seem to have heard what he'd just said.

The tour guide finally having finished his spiel, he directed the group out of the room and into a corridor which would lead them to the next room on the tour. Jamie grabbed hold of Kathryn's hand again as they followed the group.

“Excuse me,” a man suddenly spoke. Jamie turned to find a man in his thirties with a woman of similar age regarding him curiously. “We couldn't help noticing your kilt.” His accent sounded almost American and reminded Jamie of several of the 'Yankee' soldiers he'd met in that American barn back during the War Games. “Are you from here? I mean, Scotland?”

Jamie broke his curious gaze and nodded. “Aye. Born an' bred,” he told them proudly.

The man smiled. “We've been in Scotland nearly a week now and aside from a few pipers or men in costume dress at historical landmarks, we haven't seen native Scotsmen dressed this way.”

Feeling slightly awkward, Jamie dropped his gaze to the floor. “Aye. Well, I'm from the Highlands an' I'm verra proud of my heritage. My family was directly involved in the Battle of Culloden.” _As was I myself_ , he'd added silently as he looked back up at them.

The couple nodded thoughtfully, seemingly impressed. “Well, that's nice to see,” the woman told him. “I mean, it's nice that you're proud of who you are and where you're from.”

Jamie felt himself growing emotional but simply grew a smile and nodded to them. “Well, thank you.” Suddenly hearing the scuffling of shoes next to him, he turned and saw Kathryn looking at them curiously. “Oh, I'm Jamie. This is my girlfriend, Kathryn.”

They'd both reached out to shake their hands and the couple introduced themselves as Dan and Elizabeth from Ontario, Canada. After exchanging vague pleasantries, they began following the guide down the corridor.

Jamie's legs suddenly felt a bit woozy and, spying a bench, he sat heavily down on it. Kathryn sat next to him, eyeing him in concern.

“Are you all right?” she asked, reaching over to stroke his hair. “You seemed as if you were about to get emotional back there.”

A bit embarrassed, Jamie shrugged. “'Tis a bit difficult for me tae think aboot Culloden, 'specially after reading that history book aboot what happened to my people soon after our defeat.” He sighed heavily. “Those in support of Bonnie Prince Charlie had paid a great price. Their homes had been burnt down, their cattle which was their main source of income was stolen, people were taken prisoner … They were also punished by no' bein' allowed tae wear their kilts and tartans, play their music ...” He drifted off, blinking away the tears that had filled his eyes. Even though Jamie hadn't experienced all this first hand, simply reading about it made it feel as if he had and the wounds were still quite fresh.

“I'm sorry,” he told her, his voice thick with emotion. “It still makes me emotional from time to time. I'm just glad the Doctor took me away from all that.”

“Don't apologize,” she replied softly. “I'd learnt what happened after Culloden.” She then dropped her voice and spoke in quiet tones. “I can just imagine how it affects you, to have been directly involved in something like this.”

“Yer truly amazing, lass,” he told her as a smile spread across his face. He reached over to hug her and then planted a soft kiss in her hair. Once they'd separated, Jamie looked all around and found the group had already moved on. “Oh. Er … we'd better find the rest of the group so we don't get lost an' end up havin' tae spend the night here,” he said sheepishly, causing her to laugh.

They both rose from the bench and set off further down the corridor. At last they'd met up with the rest of the group and the tour guide, who was now directing their attention to some hunting relics and some animals heads up on the wall.

“The Earl was known as an expert hunter, and these are some of his 'prizes' … mainly deer and boar. Not only did he hunt and bring back animals here in Scotland, but from other countries as well, some further away than you might imagine.”

Jamie furrowed his brow in thought, listening intently as he observed the stuffed and mounted animals. That last sentence especially gave him pause. That laddie sure got around. He'd hunted in faraway countries as well?

As they ventured further down the corridor, a large, stuffed animal standing in the corner suddenly caught Jamie's eye. From a distance, it appeared to be a large bear, but something about it seemed dreadfully familiar.

Drawing closer to it, Jamie suddenly realized why this was so and his mouth dropped open in shock.

“It can't be,” he whispered.

 


	5. Four

Jamie stared at the huge, hairy thing in disbelief. A Yeti! What on Earth would a Yeti be doing here? Surely that time in the London Underground was the last they would have seen of them. Jamie was sure the Doctor had made quick work of that Intelligence, or at least made it nearly impossible for it to ever come back.

He barely noticed that Kathryn had joined him until he felt a tap on his shoulder. “Jamie? What's the matter?” she asked quietly.

He finally took his eyes off the creature and turned to her. “This beastie … It's a Yeti,” he replied in quiet disbelief.

“Come again?” she asked. “A Yeti … You mean like an abominable snowman?! Come on now.” She started to chuckle.

Jamie shook his head furiously, grabbing her and drawing her closer to him. “No,” he said quietly. “The Doctor and I an' Victoria had tangled wi' this thing before. It's no' so much a living creature. It's more like a … a robot.” She'd given him an incredulous look, forcing him to explain further. “I know it sounds daft, but it's true. They were robots that were controlled by these silver balls, um … control spheres is what the Doctor called them. This spirit thing called the 'Great Intelligence' was controlling them an' makin' the Yetis attack. The Doctor tried tae defeat the Intelligence, but was only able tae cut off its contact with Earth.”

Kathryn merely stared at him as if she were trying to process all this. “Cut off contact with Earth? Then how could it have come back?”

Jamie shook his head in frustration. “I've no idea. But I'm startin' tae wonder if this thing has any connection to the reports in the paper the Doctor spoke of.”

He watched her gaze up at the Yeti skeptically before turning back to him. “I'm sorry, I just find this all a little far-fetched. Although I suppose I shouldn't, given what we'd gone through several months back.”

Jamie nodded. He was about to say something more when he suddenly picked up a faint, familiar noise that filled him with dread. Craning his head, he struggled to find out where it was coming from. It seemed to originate from some side corridor. “Listen,” he spoke urgently, turning back to Kathryn. “We've got tae warn the others. Come on!” With that, he grabbed her hand and the two of them rushed to join the rest of their group.

Luckily they didn't have far to travel and once they'd caught up to them, Jamie slowed to a stop, panting. “Listen tae me! There's a huge, hairy beastie on the loose an' it's after us!”

Everyone in the group stared at him as if he'd suddenly grown four heads. The reaction he got left him frustrated, nonetheless it wasn't exactly unexpected. Eyeing the tour guide, he noticed he had an almost unsettled expression upon his face. After a brief moment it was gone and the older man had scoffed.

“Oh, please. This is ridiculous,” he said, his voice dripping with ridicule. He then addressed the rest of the group. “Don't believe this laddie. Reckon he's got a wee too caught up in the legends. The mind can play tricks on you, but it shouldn't to this extent. Now, we really should get a move on. We've already fallen behind and will run into the next tour group. Come on, chop-chop.”

Jamie heaved a sigh in frustration as the rest of the group turned to follow the guide further down the corridor towards the next room. Well, they seemed rather in a hurry so if they kept to a quicker pace, hopefully the Yeti wouldn't be able to catch them. As long as they made it to the castle doors and outside, they'd have a chance to get away. Oh, who was he fooling? They were just going further and further into the castle. Perhaps he could somehow convince them to take a different route. “Oh, aye. As if _that_ were ever gannae happen,” he scoffed quietly.

He was about to follow them when that dreaded beeping noise was back, this time coming down the corridor and growing louder.

Rushing up to the others, Jamie was sure they had to have heard this noise and were at least somewhat alarmed. However, they didn't appear to take any notice. He eyed the guide in disbelief. “Did ye no' hear me?? We have to leave this place!! That thing could show up any moment!”

“Quiet!” the guide hissed, glaring at Jamie.

Jamie angrily set his jaw as the sound grew louder. “Do ye not hear that noise??” he cried, gesturing down the corridor. “That means it's coming!”

Remaining uncooperative, the guide rolled his eyes and snorted. “Hardly. I'd reckon it's some sort of practical joke you're pulling!”

Jamie was barely listening to him now. His seething frustration quickly drained away and turned into panic as he caught sight of the menace lurking a distance behind the guide. The Yeti was approaching, its eyes lit up and its arms outstretched as it plodded down the corridor.

Finally some of the tourists caught sight of it and screamed. Ignoring the guide's halfhearted pleas to remain calm, they bolted, running away in the direction from which they'd come, back toward the front of the castle and the main doors. Jamie grabbed Kathryn's hand once again and ran with her.

“Come on!” he directed them. He'd gently pushed some of the stragglers forward, trying as hard as possible to keep them all safe and away from the Yeti.

The Yeti was closing in on them as they finally made it to the main entrance and the castle doors. Jamie breathed a sigh of relief upon the sight of them, but still felt responsible for keeping the rest of the group out of danger as the guide himself wasn't making much of an effort.

Then there was Kathryn. He'd briefly turned to find her staring in horror at the huge, hairy creature. Just barely realizing they'd made it to the doors, he grabbed her arm and locked eyes with her.

“Go,” he told her quietly. With that, he swung open the door and pushed her outside.

“Don't leave me out here!” she protested.

“Don't worry, I'll be along. I don' want this thing tae hurt anyone,” he quickly explained.

“Well, I don't want it to hurt you either!” she shouted desperately. “Not after what happened to you in the sewers!”

“Look, I won' be --”

Jamie was cut off as Kathryn suddenly grabbed him and, seemingly with all her force, pushed him out the door with her. Momentarily shocked, Jamie stared at her before he suddenly heard a loud scream from inside the castle. The scream was overtaken by a roar from the Yeti and Jamie felt his heart sink. Someone had obviously been attacked, perhaps even killed. How he wished he could have saved them.

Jamie's distress turned to frustration as he regarded Kathryn once more. “Why did ye do that? I could've ...” he trailed off, gesturing to the doors.

Kathryn gaped at him and then uttered a short, incredulous laugh. “You know, McCrimmon, sometimes you completely astound me.” Jamie cocked his head in confusion. She was upset with him, but so much had just happened he was unable to understand why. “I almost lost you several months back. I won't lose you again. You hear me?” Before he could react, she'd pulled him into a fierce hug.

Jamie responded by wrapping his arms around Kathryn and allowing her to hold him for a good while. She'd finally stepped back and he got a good look at the expression on her face, which was one of overwhelming emotion, mostly relief. Tears had started rolling down her cheeks and the mere sight of them made Jamie's heart ache. How could he be so stupid?

He gazed at her sheepishly. “I'm sorry,” he murmured.

She seemed to study him for a moment and then nodded. A grin spread across her face. “I know you want to be the hero. I know it's your nature to be heroic. But please, don't ever do that again.”

Jamie felt an embarrassed chuckle bubble up from his throat. “I cannae make any promises. But I'll try.”

“That's good enough for me,” she replied before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. She then seemed to be looking past him. Following her gaze, Jamie found another castle worker emerging from the doors and looking a bit shaken. Next to him was the tour guide who appeared a bit distracted, but otherwise fine.

“Please stay outside, everyone,” he warned the rest of the tour goers milling about outside. “The police are on their way.” A short, rather stout, man who Jamie recognized on the tour suddenly exited the castle. The man's face was flushed and he appeared quite upset.

“What's the matter?” Jamie asked, approaching him.

“That tall, skinny young fellow with the camera,” the man replied, his voice shaking. “That creature grabbed him and strangled him death. I … I saw it with my own eyes.”

The tour guide rolled his eyes. “This man is obviously distraught, letting his emotions run away with him. That is not what happened.”

Jamie eyed the man pointedly. “Then wha' _did_ happen?”

The guide seemed surprised by Jamie's insistence and he'd briefly looked away. “Nothing that cannot be explained,” he finally replied evasively.

“An' ye think ye can explain a huge, hairy beastie just prowlin' around an' attacking people?!”

“Oh, please, that's just preposterous nonsense!” the guide exploded. He'd turned to walk away but Jamie blocked him, giving him no quarter.

“No, it's not. I've seen these beasties before. They're no' really wild animals. They're robots. That beeping noise ye hear whenever they're around? It's the thing that controls them! Somethin' is controlling them an' making them attack.”

“Oh, get out of here with this rubbish!” the tour guide shouted at him. He pointed toward the front gates. “Clear off. Now. Or I'll report you to the police.”

Jamie regarded him in disbelief before finally heaving a frustrated sigh. There was no convincing this man. They had no choice but to leave. “Come on,” he said quietly to Kathryn, putting a hand on her back as they finally traipsed away from the main entrance and out the gates.

* * *

 

Kathryn watched Jamie dispassionately stab the crust of his meat pie with a fork. They decided to have a 'Sunday dinner' of sorts at another restaurant not far from the hotel, hoping to enjoy a meal and relax after all that had happened during the tour of Glamis earlier. Jamie seemed to be enjoying the food but the glum look on his face suggested that something was eating at him. After the morning they had, she couldn't blame him.

Leaning across the table, she touched his arm. “You all right?” she asked quietly.

Jamie gazed at her and then shook his head. “I keep thinkin' aboot that tour guide. Did ye notice he was acting a wee bit strange? It was as if ...” He stopped and leaned closer to her, lowering his voice. “...As if he didnae want to admit what the Yeti was doing there … almost as if he were coverin' somethin' up.”

Kathryn nodded. So much pandemonium had occurred when that creature appeared that it had totally eclipsed the odd behavior of the guide. Finally getting a chance to think on it, Jamie was right. Something did seem very strange with the way he kept insisting nothing was wrong and that he kept shooing them away. “Yes. Come to think of it, it fits with the way they were so secretive in that newspaper article.”

“Aye. We've got tae call the Doctor an' UNIT. As soon as possible.”

 

* * *

 

Back in the privacy of their own room, Kathryn watched as Jamie removed a small though somewhat bulky, hand held device from his luggage.

“You're able to contact the Doctor with that?”

He'd briefly looked up at her before going back to it, adjusting the knobs on it. “Aye. UNIT gave me this an' I used it tae contact him before.”

She nodded. “What are you going to tell him?”

Before he could answer, she watched the screen crackle to life, showing the face of one of the UNIT soldiers.

“McCrimmon? Is that you?”

“Aye. Captain Yates, is the Doctor there?”

“Oh, yes. Just a moment ...” Kathryn watched him say something off-screen to someone else and within seconds the Brigadier had joined him.

“McCrimmon? What's going on?”

“Let's just say it's a good thing ye lent me this communicator.”

The older man lifted an eyebrow. “What are you on about? Has something happened?”

“Aye. I need the Doctor.”

The Brigadier looked around briefly and then nodded. “All right. I'll get him.”

Although Jamie was still quite unsettled, Kathryn saw him breathe a small sigh of relief. The Doctor's familiar face soon appeared, his expression tinged with concern.

“Jamie? What's going on, lad?”

“Doctor, you were right. That funny feelin' ye told me ye had aboot Glamis Castle. There's somethin' dangerous there an' we need your help!”

“What is it?”

“Well, yer no' gannae believe this, but the Yeti are back.”

The Doctor appeared absolutely gobsmacked and didn't speak for several moments. “The Yeti?” he finally asked quietly.

“Aye!” Jamie proceeded to tell the Doctor about how they'd found this creature standing in the hall along with the display of animals the Earl had hunted, about how they heard the traveling beeping noise from something called a 'control sphere,' and how the creature had come to life. He'd finished by frantically telling the Doctor about the young man who'd been killed and, finally, about the evasive behavior of the tour guide.

As the Doctor listened, he appeared quite confounded and then deep in thought. “I thought we had put that whole business with the Yeti and the Intelligence to bed after that encounter in the London Underground,” he muttered before a realization seemed to strike him. “No, I remember now. Our attempt to defeat it failed and we'd only cut off its contact with Earth from space. That still does not explain what it would be doing at Glamis Castle … Mm. I knew I had a funny feeling about this whole thing.”

“Well, what are we gannae do aboot it, Doctor? This thing has already killed two people, mebbe more.”

“Just a moment, Jamie,” the Doctor replied. Kathryn then saw him conferring with the Brigadier for a couple of minutes before the two of them returned right in front of the screen. “It will take us about eight hours to get there, so we'll leave well before dawn tomorrow and meet you here around eleven o'clock. In the meantime, I'm going to do some research and see what I can find.”

Jamie seemed as if he were about to protest but then thought better of it and nodded. “All right, Doctor.” He then told the Doctor where they were staying, even though they had planned to meet at the castle.

“Sit tight, McCrimmon,” the Brigadier said. “We'll get to the bottom of this. See you at eleven hundred hours tomorrow.”

“Aye,” Jamie replied softly just before the transmission ended. He sat for a long moment, just staring at the blank screen. At last he turned and looked at Kathryn wearily.

Kathryn drew closer to him and stroked his arm. “Don't worry. He'll come up with something.”

“I know. It's just that … I never expected tae run into these beasties again. I hate that people's lives are in danger.”

“I know. But we'll find a way to stop it. We did last time.”

Jamie seemed to study her for a moment before a smile slowly spread across his face. “What would I do without ye, lass?”

Kathryn felt her lips lift into a playful smile of her own. “I don't want to think about it,” she replied, prompting a sheepish chuckle from Jamie as he looked down at his lap. “Hey, I'm a bit hungry. Shall we get a bite to eat?”

He appeared to ponder this and then nodded. “Aye. I'm feelin' a wee bit hungry myself.”

 

* * *

 

After getting some food at a fish and chips stand, Jamie and Kathryn decided go for a walk outside and take in the lovely atmosphere of the area. They had found a little path that ran parallel to a pond and then veered to the right, crossing the pond via a small stone bridge. From this location, they could still see the Grampian Mountains off in the distance with the peaceful sound of birdsong around the water's edge.

As they walked, they had talked about all sorts of things: Jamie about his family and what they were like, Kathryn about her own family and her experiences during her holidays around Glasgow. It seemed to be the most in-depth conversation they had had since she had met him five months ago. She had learned some interesting things about Jamie's family and, by extension, Jamie himself as an old-fashioned, brave, loyal young man who treated ladies like gold. It had certainly proven right her own impressions of him over the time she'd known him. Best of all, there were no illusions about him. With Jamie, it was 'what you see is what you get.' It made her love him even more.

As they talked and she watched him take in their surroundings, he had appeared to relax quite a bit. His deep concern bordering on anxiety was understandable given the circumstances, but it ached her to see him that way and she was glad to see him in a better frame of mind. She herself was quite concerned with keeping those visiting Glamis Castle safe and getting rid of that strange creature, but she trusted the Doctor. He would find a way to resolve this whole thing. As devoted to Jamie as she was, Kathryn vowed to offer him as much support as she could.

Once they had retired to their room that night, Kathryn had gathered Jamie into her arms and captured his lips in a kiss, her unspoken reassurance that things would work out. They would resolve this together. She watched Jamie's worry melt away as he deepened the kiss and brought his arms around her, holding her close. As they finally pulled away she gazed at him, finding the lines of worry around his eyes had faded, replaced by affectionate crinkles as he smiled fondly at her. She reached up to stroke his hair before reluctantly leaving him and heading for her own bed.

He'd finally settled into the bed and Kathryn had gazed at him once more, still aching with concern about him before reassuring thoughts of the Doctor's arrival tomorrow morning finally pushed it away, ushering in sleep.

 

* * *

 

Jamie felt his lungs aching as he pushed himself to run harder. He was in a dark, cold place that stank of mildew. It was so dark, he could barely make out where he was. He was in some sort of narrow corridor, perhaps ten or twelve feet wide, bordered by stone walls to his left and right. He couldn't even tell what exactly he was doing here; all he knew was that he had to run. It wasn't as if someone or something were chasing him; more like he was running to find something or to get something back.

Finally unable to take it any longer, he stopped and leaned against the cold stone wall, attempting to catch his breath. He briefly ran a hand across his forehead, wiping his sweaty brow. He felt himself shudder for a moment. It was quite cold, yet he felt as though he were on fire. Something was burning within him, perhaps the desire to push himself forward and reclaim the thing he was after.

Before he could react, he suddenly noticed the corridor growing wider, as if it had opened up into a large room. It was still pitch black and Jamie only had a meager torch that barely showed what was five feet in front of him.

Taking a few tentative steps forward, the darkness seemed to fade very slightly and Jamie suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of relief flood him. He wasn't quite sure why; nothing had really changed except for the darkness.

He finally realized why: about ten feet in front of him suddenly appeared Kathryn. He instantly smiled at the sight of her, although the question of what she was doing there in the first place began nagging him. Had she been lost? Had they become separated from one another for some reason? But again, where on Earth were they? The atmosphere almost reminded him of the London Underground where he'd last seen the Yeti and Intelligence. Given what they were now dealing with, that didn't seem so far-fetched.

But he wasn't dreaming. He couldn't be. This was all so real.

“Kathryn,” he exclaimed, reaching out to her, a smile cracking his face wide open.

She had smiled weakly in return but seemed unable to speak. A large shadow suddenly formed next to her. It appeared to be the shadow of a person, someone that had to be taller than both of them. Jamie looked about the room (or whatever it was) to see what could be causing it, but it didn't seem to be anything natural. Squinting, he stared hard at the darkness for a moment before it finally made its presence known to him.

It was an evil presence. It was malevolent. Jamie watched in horror as this shadow started to grow and approached Kathryn. She had flinched and tried to move away from it, but the room appeared to be shrinking again and before long she was up against a wall. After the width of the room shrank, the corridor began to grow in length, putting more distance between her and Jamie.

“Kathryn!” he cried. He'd rushed forward and attempted to pull her to safety, but he suddenly found he couldn't move. It was as if he had shackles clamped around his ankles, preventing him from moving. Jamie grunted, kicking at the unseen force to overcome it and try to save Kathryn, but all his efforts were for naught. The only thing Jamie knew was that he had to save her from this evil. He reached forward with his arms, trying to grab her hands and pull her away, but the space between them kept growing.

The evil black shadow suddenly exploded in size, appearing almost like a vertical black hole. Kathryn seemed to be resisting the force pulling her backward, but it was too strong. She was quickly pulled into the black shadow and all Jamie could do was watch helplessly as her form quickly disappeared right in front of him.

The shadow itself then abruptly disappeared, leaving Jamie in the same cold, dark place he was before. Still fighting against his invisible bonds, he suddenly pitched forward, landing face down on the cold, stone floor. At least he was now free.

But she was gone.

Jamie pulled himself up off the ground and cried out in frustration, beating his fists on the floor.

 

* * *

 

A strangled cry abruptly pulled Kathryn out of a sound sleep. She quickly sat up, looking about the room until her gaze fell upon Jamie, his legs tangled in the bed sheets and his arms flailing wildly.

“No!!! Kathryn! Ye can't take her!” he shouted.

Upon hearing her name, her eyes widened and her blood ran cold.

“Ye stay away from her! She willnae go with ye, ye hear me?! She willnae go with ye...” Jamie's shouts faded into quiet sobs.

Watching him made her heart break. Instantly she was up and across the room, bending at his side. His skin was warm and clammy and his face was twisted in pain.

“Jamie,” she tried softly, gently nudging his shoulder.

“No, she willnae go with ye … nooooo,” he moaned. He wouldn't respond to her and continued to flail at the sheets that had covered him earlier.

“Jamie, please. I'm all right,” she spoke soothingly, caressing his cheek with the back of her hand. “It's only a dream. It's not real, you hear me?” He suddenly stopped struggling and his eyes blinked open, widening slightly as he met her gaze.

A reassuring smile tugged at her lips. “I'm fine. See?”

Jamie gazed at her for a long moment and then seemed to heave a sigh of relief. He then looked away from her and broke down in sobs.

Fighting back tears herself, Kathryn sat herself down on the edge of his bed and reached over, smoothing his damp fringe back from his forehead. “It's okay, Jamie. Really, it is,” she cooed, gathering him into her arms and holding him. “I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right here with you.”

Jamie finally ceased crying and gazed back up at her. Taking a deep breath, he slowly nodded and relaxed into her embrace. Smiling, Kathryn continued stroking his hair. “I'll always be with you,” she murmured.

As if in response, Jamie's lips twitched into the faintest of smiles and he sighed. Within moments he was fast asleep. Gazing at him lovingly, Kathryn eased herself down onto the bed and slept next to him, holding him. Sure, it was a small bed and a bit cramped, but she didn't care. She wasn't going to leave him no matter what.

 


	6. Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, the bits of "history" of Glamis Castle are fictional (except for the Earl Beardie mention). And no, I wouldn't actually expect them to keep castle tours going after something awful like this has happened. ;)

The early morning sunlight shone through the adjacent window, casting a rather ornate shadow of Jamie's teacup as he and Kathryn sat at a table for two in the Rosewood's dining room for breakfast. They had some nice, sophisticated décor at this place. His gaze returning to his plate, he realized he'd barely touched his breakfast. He didn't deny being hungry, but it seemed his mind and his mouth weren't listening to each other.

He couldn't stop thinking of that awful dream he'd had. Being initially separated from Kathryn and then being unable to rescue her from a sort of huge, black shadow … It had left him quite shaken. He wondered if it had any connection to what was going on at Glamis Castle and if it was a portent of things to come for both of them. The Doctor had once told him that dreams don't always foretell future events; that sometimes they have perfectly rational explanations. Jamie hoped with all his heart that this one did.

His then recalled what had happened when he'd finally come to. Kathryn was there, trying to calm him. He had been so stricken with fear but her soothing presence quickly informed him he was safe and sound. At some point, he'd fallen back asleep. When he finally woke up sometime later he had found her lying next to him, her arms wrapped around him. He'd been surprised to find her this way and couldn't deny he was also feeling a bit self-conscious. Heck, they were sharing a bed when they weren't even betrothed or married yet. Surely under normal circumstances, this should not be permitted? Any reservations he'd had were quickly dashed, however, once he realized what a comfort she was to him. He wouldn't trade that for anything.

“Jamie?” Kathryn's soft voice cut through his reverie. Meeting her gaze, he found her regarding him in concern. “You've hardly touched your breakfast. Is this about last night? Would you like to talk about it?”

Jamie heaved a sigh and nodded. Tentatively gazing around the area to make sure no one could overhear, he leaned forward. “I was runnin' from somethin' in this dark passageway. At least I thought I was at first. Turned out I was runnin' towards somethin.' You.”

She regarded him curiously, prompting him to continue. “We'd got separated somehow. I finally found ye an'...” He realized his voice came out rather shaky and he felt his cheeks grow hot. Awkwardly he cleared his throat and forged on. “I found ye but this huge shadow suddenly appeared an' looked as though it were gannae swallow ye up. I tried tae pull ye away, but I couldnae move. The space between us grew an' ye got farther an' farther away. I tried so hard tae get ye back but the shadow grew until ye were gone.” Jamie's voice had begun to falter and he stopped to clear his throat again. “Sorry. Um … I'm no' sure where it came from. But it was one of the worst dreams I ever had.”

“You said you've seen these creatures before. You think it might have something to do with that?”

Jamie gazed at her in thought before a realization struck him. “Aye, something like this has happened before. Back when the Doctor an' I and Victoria first saw the Yetis in Tibet, Victoria had been hypnotized for a time by this old master of the monastery where we found them. She acted possessed an' he even spoke through her. We were able tae free her, but then he tried tae do it again. He was controlled by the Great Intelligence an' he was controlling the Yeti to attack us. Victoria tried tae stop him when he tried tae hypnotize her. She spoke a prayer the monks gave her, but she became paralyzed anyway.” Jamie stopped and shuddered inwardly at the memory. “She eventually came to and was fine, but I couldnae help bein' worried for her.”

Kathryn gave him a smile that seemed sympathetic in nature. “I imagine you were. I know I would be in that situation.”

Jamie nodded and continued, speaking quietly. “There was this professor called Travers. He'd been hunting the beasties in Tibet. We saw him again the next time we found the Yetis in the London Underground. One of them had been reactivated an' it allowed the Intelligence tae invade again. Travers ended up being possessed by it. The Intelligence wanted tae drain the Doctor's mind an' use his knowledge. We got the Doctor out of that but we didnae defeat the Intelligence. Ye see, this is why I want tae stop it an' the Yeti here at the castle. I don' know what they've got planned but they've already killed at least two people. They've got tae be stopped.”

Kathryn seemed to be digesting this information for a moment before she nodded. “I agree,” she told him resolutely.

Another thought occurred to Jamie, one he was especially reluctant to share with Kathryn. He expected her to put up a fight over it given the way she acted back during the Drix situation, not to mention the way she'd grabbed and pushed him out the castle doors just yesterday. Still, he had to be honest with her.

“I want tae protect as many people as possible from the Yeti and the Intelligence.” Eyeing her worriedly, he swallowed hard. “An' that includes you, Kathryn.”

“What are you saying?”

Avoiding her gaze, he sighed. This wasn't going to be easy. “I'm sayin' I'd feel much better if ye stay back here while I, the Doctor an' UNIT tackle these beasties.”

Tentatively returning his gaze to Kathryn, her reaction wasn't quite what he expected. She uttered an incredulous laugh. “Wait, why? Because of your dream? Jamie, that doesn't necessarily mean it's going to happen.”

“Why not? Do ye no' believe in signs or omens?”

“I'm not saying that, but have you ever heard of the power of suggestion? You'd told me about all this earlier in the day so it was obviously on your mind for a while. It brought back memories and there's quite a good chance that it influenced your dreams.”

Jamie took a moment to consider this and decided it was not out of the question. Still, he'd feel better if she was out of harm's way.

“I know what you're thinking. But I'm sorry. I'm going,” she continued, her expression giving him no room for compromise.

Annoyed and feeling somewhat defeated, Jamie furrowed his brow in a glare, his jaw set. She'd stared back at him, finally causing him to look away. “All right,” he sighed. His glare softened as he turned back to her. “But if ye insist on going, I insist on doing everything I can tae keep ye safe. Aye?” Raising his eyebrows for emphasis, he extended his hand.

He watched as her face melted into a smile and she reached over to grasp his hand. “Aye.”

Jamie felt a smile of his own spread across his face as he held her hand for a moment. Not that he felt any more convinced he'd keep her safe. But he was damn well going to try.

 

* * *

 

It was just before eleven when Jamie and Kathryn arrived at the front gates of Glamis Castle where they were to meet the Doctor and UNIT. Jamie hoped his friends had been able to find some background information that would help them.

Gazing around, he squinted and wrinkled his nose. They were the only two people in the vicinity.

“I don' see them. Do you?”

Kathryn shook her head. “No. But we are a few minutes early.”

Almost as if on cue, the sound of automobile engines pierced the quiet morning air as the familiar UNIT cars rolled into view. Jamie grew a lopsided grin as he turned to Kathryn. “Ye think they heard us?” He smiled as she threw her head back and laughed.

Finally they came to a stop and out of the front car exited the Doctor along with Jo and the Brigadier. Behind them in the other jeep were Captain Yates and Sergeant Benton. Jamie felt some relief wash over him as he and Kathryn made their way up to them.

“McCrimmon, Miss Drummond,” the Brigadier addressed them, nodding.

“Brigadier,” Jamie nodded, forcing a smile. “Out of curiosity, where are ye all staying?”

“That inn you're staying at had some vacancies.”

Jamie blinked in surprise. “Oh. Um … We reckoned we'd have seen ye earlier.”

“We got a bit of an early start after breakfast and wished to get some research done.”

Jamie nodded and then looked to the Doctor. “What have ye come up with, Doctor?”

The Time Lord sighed. “Nothing much, I'm afraid. The nice lady at the historical society down the road was quite busy when we arrived. She'd begun telling us about the alleged hauntings. Jo can fill you in on that.”

Jamie nodded in Jo's direction as she smiled. “It wasn't much, but she told me about the Earl of Crawford, also known as Earl Beardie.”

“Aye, Kathryn told me a wee bit aboot him.”

Jo seemed surprised for a moment but continued. “Yes, people have sighted him in different areas of the castle. He was described as a 'beast of a man' with a long, red beard.”

“Yes, a beast of a man,” the Doctor cut in. “I can see how sightings of the Yeti could possibly be mistaken for sightings of that chap.”

“She also gave me a bit of information on one of the inhabitants of the castle, the Earl of Strathmore. Apparently, he was a keen hunter and the animals he'd hunted are on display there.”

“Aye, that was the man they told us aboot on the tour!” Jamie replied. “This could be somethin' important, Doctor.”

“Mm, yes. It's a start, but not very much of one.”

Turning to the Doctor and biting her lip, Jo seemed a bit dismayed by his pessimism. “I made an appointment to meet with her again later this afternoon. She told me she'd find more information on the Earl to share with us.”

Jamie nodded. “Thank ye, Jo.”

She smiled. “Of course.”

Jamie noticed the Brigadier looking at his watch. “Well, let's get a move on, shall we?” He nodded, acknowledging the other men. “Yates? Benton?”

“Yes, Sir,” Benton replied as they joined him and the others' stroll up to the castle gates.

Once they made it there, they were met with a dour-looking staff member. “We're closed for tours today.”

Jamie gazed at him uneasily until the Brigadier stepped up. “I understand that, Sir, but we're on official business concerning the incident that took place here yesterday.”

The other man did a double take. “How d'ye know what happened here?”

“Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart of UNIT,” the Brigadier replied, showing the other man his credentials. “This is Captain Yates, Sergeant Benton, and our scientific advisers Doctor John Smith, Miss Josephine Grant, Master James McCrimmon and Miss Kathryn Drummond.”

The man seemed to accept the credentials presented to him but still appeared skeptical. “What's the military got to do with this, and why would ye need all these 'scientific advisers?”

Before anyone could react, Jamie spotted a familiar face joining the staff member. Realizing it was the tour guide from yesterday, he groaned.

“I thought I told you never to come back here!” the guide shouted, pointing to Jamie and Kathryn.

Jamie rolled his eyes in frustration and found Kathryn gazing uneasily at her feet.

“Please, Sir, this is official business!” the Doctor insisted.

The guide didn't seem to be budging until yet another castle worker walked swiftly towards him. A woman appearing in her late forties stopped and gazed at them curiously. Jamie found a look of distress on her face that suddenly appeared awash in relief. He felt his brow furrow as he tried to decipher her reaction.

“Gordon, please. Go back inside. I'll take care of this,” she pleaded with the tour guide. The man regarded her obstinately before finally walking away in a huff towards the castle doors. The woman then turned back to them with an apologetic expression. “I'm sorry about all this. So much has been happening here lately, none of it good.”

“Aye,” Jamie said heavily. He then pointed to himself and Kathryn. “We were on yer tour yesterday when that … incident took place. An' we'd also read that another strange happening took place here earlier as well.”

There was worry etched all across the woman's face and she finally looked away uncomfortably.

“What is it?” Jamie prompted her.

Nervously fingering her pearl necklace, she finally met his gaze. “That earlier incident, from a few weeks ago … That man in the papers. He died.”

Jamie felt his jaw go slack. He briefly eyed the rest of his group, finding shock on their faces as well.

“Pardon my asking, but why was nothing ever said?” the Brigadier asked abrasively. “And, more to the point, why were the tours then allowed to continue?”

The woman looked thoroughly ashamed, almost as if she wanted to run away. “We didn't want it to get out,” she replied lamely. “It would have been terrible publicity.”

The Doctor uttered a sound of disbelief. “That's just appalling! More people have since been killed! Their lives could have been saved if you'd only admitted it back then and suspended the tours! It's times like these that make me question my faith in humankind.” He shook his head in disgust.

The Brigadier finally spoke up, piercing the awkward silence. “We were hoping to get inside to get to the bottom of why this was happening, and try to put a stop to it. But I assume we're not going to be granted access.”

The woman, called Mary from the badge on her cardigan, shook her head. “I'm sorry. Not today.” She then stepped closer to them, speaking quietly. “I do deeply regret what's happened here, but suspending the tours is not my decision to make.”

“But you could have said something! Tried to sway the person whose decision it _was_!” the Doctor objected. “Er … whose decision was it, exactly?”

“Gordon MacLennan, the chief tour guide you met earlier,” she replied tersely.

A realization struck Jamie. Now it all made sense. He'd felt badly for thinking ill of this woman just earlier, and felt even more scorn for this Gordon. Jamie had been right all along in his suspicion of this man. He now wondered if he was somehow working with the Yeti or the Intelligence. But to what end?

“Look, come back here tomorrow anytime after noon,” Mary continued softly. “Gordon has the afternoon off. You shall not have to worry about him. There are no tours tomorrow so you will have the access you need to the castle. If I'm not here, I will leave instructions for the staff member on duty to let you in.” She gazed at them worriedly. “Please. Help us put an end to this,” she pleaded.

“Good lady, that is our plan,” the Doctor replied, a hint of a smile on his face. “Do forgive us for any assumptions on your role in this.”

“Yes. We thank you for anything you can do to assist us,” the Brigadier added.

Mary's expression changed into one of gratitude. “It is I who should be thanking you.” After a moment, she straightened up and assumed a more professional attitude. “If I'm not there when you arrive and the staff have any further questions, just tell them assistant curator Mary Ogilvy has granted you access.”

“We shall do that, Mary. Thank you again,” the Doctor told her kindly.

Mary nodded and thanked them again before Jamie followed them back to the UNIT vehicles.

“Well, this certainly has taken an interesting turn,” Captain Yates spoke up once they gathered behind the cars.

“Yes,” the Doctor mused. “That poor woman really did not have any say in this. It was that … tour guide!” He spit the last part out scornfully.

“Aye, I told ye he was actin' funny!” Jamie exclaimed.

“Yes, he was acting as though he was trying to cover up what that Yeti was doing, or simply in denial about it,” Kathryn agreed.

“Aye, Doctor. It's almost as if he's workin' with the Intelligence.”

“All right, before we go accusing anyone of anything, we need some proof,” the Brigadier spoke up. “Miss Grant, you're heading back to the historical society later this afternoon. McCrimmon, I want you and Miss Drummond to accompany her. Doctor, you, Captain Yates and Sergeant Benton will join me at the public library. See if we can dig up any newspaper articles of interest. We'll all meet back at the Doctor's room at seventeen hundred hours.”

Jamie nodded along with the others before he saw the Doctor quirking a playful grin.

“That's room one-twenty-four in the carriage house! You're welcome to make yourselves right at home, but no feet on the furniture,” the Time Lord declared, giving them a mock stern expression. Jamie noticed Jo rolling her eyes and was unable to contain a grin.

* * *

“So, what have you found?”

Kathryn turned to Jamie, smiling in anticipation before presenting their findings. They'd arrived back with Jo from the historical society and had joined the others inside the Doctor's room in the more remote carriage house. Jo had shared the room with him, and the Brigadier, Benton and Yates also had rooms in there as well. Kathryn found it easy to understand why: the building was empty save for them, thus ensuring a little more privacy than if they were in the main building as she and Jamie were.

They had found some interesting information regarding the Earl of Strathmore. The historian had told them he was an avid hunter in the sixteenth century. He had traveled all over Scotland as well as other parts of Europe and even the Orient. She told them there were mentions of the area now known as Tibet within the Earl's writings, but historians were skeptical he had actually traveled that far. Kathryn couldn't help finding this intriguing, especially after Jamie had told her that he, the Doctor and Victoria had first encountered the Yeti there.

She had also mentioned some of the folklore. Supposedly the castle had several “secret” rooms. This particular notion seemed to intrigue Jamie and he asked if the Earl of Strathmore was connected to any of these secret rooms. Doing a bit more digging, the historian found some very rare personal documents of the Earl's, including a diary. In it, he had written about bringing back a large “bear-like creature” he'd hunted in the Orient. Along with it he had found some “strange sphere” and a glass pyramid that seemed to give off magic. Reading further, they found he had brought them back with him and had discovered his creature, which he thought was dead, could be reanimated with them.

These documents covered months' worth of time and had included writings from other family members as well. They'd learned the Earl had sent the creature to do his bidding, even punish his enemies from rival clans. He'd kept both the sphere and pyramid within a specific chamber inside the castle. Something eventually went wrong and the creature had turned on him, attacking with reckless abandon not just people this man wanted it to attack, but innocent people as well. The creature eventually snapped and killed him as well. A servant who witnessed it pleaded with the other royals to have the chamber walled up to put an end to this nightmare and they agreed. They'd also believed that since the sphere and the pyramid – which they assumed were connected somehow – were walled up, it meant the connection to the creature was finally broken and it was no longer “alive.”

The Doctor's eyebrows shot up and he nodded, seemingly impressed. “Well. I think we may have something here.”

“Agreed,” the Brigadier added. “Well, ladies and gentleman, I regret to admit our findings were not nearly as impressive as yours.” He turned, regarding Captain Yates and Sergeant Benton expectantly. Both men nodded and the Sergeant handed Yates some notes.

“Yes. All we found were a couple of articles on the so-called hauntings of Glamis Castle,” Captain Yates shared, glancing at notes scrawled on a yellow tablet. “One mentioned that the sightings had increased in recent years and people were trying to explain why. One of the theories was that construction had been done in attempt to open up one of the castle's 'secret rooms' to solve the mystery of what was inside. They also mentioned several 'disappearances' and speculated a connection to all this. Witnesses spoke of a strange sound and a large, hairy creature, but they were deemed the product of an active imagination after having heard the legends during the tour.”

Kathryn nodded, taking in the information. Even though it wasn't much, the fact that construction had been done to open a “secret room” was definitely noteworthy. She'd heard theories of alleged hauntings increasing due to construction on buildings. Maybe the notion wasn't as far-fetched as previously thought.

“Is it possible that this Earl was killed by the Yeti – perhaps working with the Intelligence – and that his spirit still lingers inside the castle?” Jo suddenly piped up, almost as if she read her mind.

Kathryn tried to contain a grin after seeing the Doctor roll his eyes wearily. “Oh, really, Jo. If that were to happen, this Earl would most likely be harboring a grudge against the Intelligence and doing everything he could to stop this. Although ...” He suddenly paused, as if reconsidering this. “Perhaps it is still possible … some inner struggle going on there but the Intelligence is too strong to overcome.”

“I thought you said it was all romantic piffle,” Jo retorted with a teasing grin.

“Well, that doesn't mean it's absolutely impossible,” he shot back almost defensively. “There was a time when I didn't believe something such as the Intelligence was a possibility, but I was proven wrong.” Taking a deep breath, he tented his fingers together in thought. “Well, everyone, I believe I can conclude without hesitation that this is the work of the Yeti and the Great Intelligence. The mention of the control sphere and the glass pyramid in those old documents confirms this.”

“Aye, an' we saw the control sphere during the tour,” Jamie reminded him.

“Yes.” The Doctor narrowed his eyes in thought. “I still fail to understand how the tour guide enters into this. I wonder if the Intelligence is controlling him somehow. Making him do its bidding. Hopefully we'll get closer to cracking that nut once we go back there tomorrow.”

“That tour guide won't be there tomorrow, right?” Captain Yates added. “That should make things easier.”

The Brigadier nodded. “Yes, it should. Nonetheless we mustn't assume this will be a complete walk in the park. We'll be all geared up in case anything happens.” He forced a quick smile. “Nice work, everyone. We'll brief once more tomorrow before heading back to the castle at fourteen hundred hours.”

Everyone agreed and the meeting broke up. That evening, Jamie and Kathryn had joined Jo for dinner. They had had some pleasant conversation. Try as she might, though, Kathryn couldn't remember any of it. Thoughts about what was going on in the castle kept nagging at her and she really hoped they could resolve the whole situation. Was she beginning to have second thoughts about taking part in this? She couldn't. She owed it to Jamie. Even though he had the Doctor, Jo, and the UNIT men working with him, she still worried for his safety. He had told her he would do all he could to protect her. She had to do all she could to protect him as well.

Back in their own room, she sat on the edge of her bed, the ruminations still doing their best to unsettle her. How she wished she could banish them for good. She finally felt a soft touch on her arm and turned to find Jamie, gazing at her in concern.

“It'll be fine. I promise,” he told her, his voice quiet and husky just before he covered her lips with his own.

Mired in his tender kiss, she felt the agonizing thoughts being ripped from her mind and allowed herself some peace in the comfort of his warm embrace. Everything would be all right. It had to be.

* * *

Approaching the gates, Jamie sighed in relief upon spotting Mary, the castle employee they'd met yesterday. That strange guide Gordon didn't seem to be around, thankfully. Mary nodded and opened the gates, leading them back inside the castle.

“I'd really like to have a look at that Yeti,” the Doctor spoke up. Jamie nodded as he led him to Duncan's Hall, the corridor where they'd spotted the Yeti on the tour.

He watched the Doctor approach the Yeti, his expression heavy in thought as he gingerly bent to examine the creature. Jamie couldn't help tensing up a bit, nearly expecting to hear the sound of the control sphere bringing the Yeti to life. Feeling Kathryn lay a comforting hand on his shoulder, he disciplined himself to stop worrying.

“Hm,” the Doctor suddenly muttered.

“What is it, Doctor?”

“No control sphere. Not that I expected to find one, anyway ...” He was interrupted by the booming of loud, hurried footsteps entering into the room.

“What's going on here?!”

Jamie whirled around, his eyes widened in shock. Gordon the guide was here after all.

“Gordon!” Mary exclaimed. “I … I thought you had the afternoon off!”

“Well, you thought incorrectly,” he replied angrily. “I had some extra work to do and so had to postpone my time off.” He then turned to address Jamie and the others. “I demand you to leave at once!”

Jamie stared at him, slack-jawed.

The Brigadier took a few steps forward. “Sir, if you'd just --”

“Now!!” Gordon shouted, pointing to the doors.

Mary stood behind him, appearing very agitated. “I'm sorry, but ...” She turned fearfully once more toward Gordon. “Please. Leave.”

Jamie saw an uncomfortable expression pass over the Doctor's face before he finally sighed in apparent resignation. “Fine. We'll leave you to it.”

Jamie's brows drew together in confusion. The Doctor was just going to give up like this? He couldn't believe it. “Doctor, what are ye –?”

“Shush, Jamie,” the Time Lord cut him off quietly, holding out a hand in front of him.

Sighing, Jamie decided to let it go. It was quite possible the Doctor had something up his sleeve. At least he hoped he did.

Slowly, the Doctor made his way toward the castle doors, nodding to the others to join him. Jamie moved slowly with him, Kathryn at his side and the Brigadier, Captain Yates and Sergeant Benton on the other. They had just crossed the area in which Gordon and Mary stood and were about to reach the doors when Jamie heard Kathryn utter a sound of exclamation. Turning, he witnessed Gordon suddenly grabbing her by the shoulders.

“What are you doing?! Let me go ...” she'd begun to shout. Her protests were abruptly cut off as Gordon opened his mouth and a thick, gauzy mist rushed out, heading straight into her own mouth.

“Kathryn!!” Jamie turned and glared at the guide. “Let her go, or I'll --”

Almost as if he'd heard him, Gordon suddenly let go of Kathryn and began swaying ungainly before collapsing to the floor with a loud sigh. Jamie stared at him in confusion. No, he didn't appear to be dead. Benton had approached him and felt for a pulse, confirming Jamie's suspicion.

Gordon suddenly came to and looked about the room, seemingly confused. “What … What happened?”

“Mister MacLennan, you have no recollection of anything that's occurred here?” Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart asked, quirking an eyebrow.

The other man simply stared at him. “No, I … cannae seem to remember much of anything ...”

The Brigadier approached the other man, speaking to him quietly. Jamie was no longer paying attention to them, however. He'd turned back to Kathryn and found her looking as if she were in a trance.

“Kathryn? Ye all right, lass?” he asked softly, drawing closer to her.

She finally met his gaze, but her expression made her seem like a stranger. Her eyes were wide and her jaw was set, her expression cold. Without saying a word, she stepped back from him, turned and began slowly walking toward the corridor they'd just come from.

Jamie felt dread welling up inside him. “Kathryn??”

The Doctor was soon by his side, also staring at Kathryn's retreating form. “I suspected as much,” Jamie heard him utter quietly, as if he'd made an unfortunate discovery.

Jamie began to follow her. “Kathryn!! Where are ye going?! Come back!!” he called after her, a part of him realizing the futility of doing so, but desperately trying whatever he could.

“She can't hear you, Jamie,” the Doctor said quietly, still watching her.

“B-But _Doctor_...” Jamie pleaded.

“She's not your girlfriend, my lad.”

All Jamie could do was stare in horror.

 


	7. Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, pretty much all of the "history" and "folklore" in this chapter about Glamis castle is fictional.

Still shocked over what had just happened, Jamie watched his girlfriend walk away from him and down a corridor of the castle, ignoring them all and acting as if she were in a trance.

He finally turned to the Doctor, eyeing him in disbelief. “What're ye on aboot, Doctor? She's no' Kathryn?!”

“No, she's not,” the Doctor replied, still gazing in the direction to which Kathryn had retreated. “She's the Intelligence.”

“Eh?!”

The Doctor finally turned to face him, his expression revealing some leftover surprise but perhaps a hint of triumph as well. “Yes. It all makes sense now. The secrecy in that article I read. That tour guide's odd behavior. It was as though they didn't want news of the Yeti and the Intelligence being here at Glamis getting out.”

“Why not?”

“That I'm not sure of. We'll have to see if we can crack this case. Perhaps there is further material in the library or historical society. Something in Glamis' history that can shed some light on this.”

“The thing I don' understand, Doctor, is why the Intelligence would expect anyone tae figure out it was here. No one but us knows aboot it.”

“True, but if people are so intent on solving a mystery, they'll dig as deeply as they can and perhaps they might just get lucky. The Intelligence apparently did not wish to take that chance.”

“Aye,” Jamie grumbled. It suddenly dawned on him there was something much more important to him at stake. Swiftly returning his gaze to the Doctor, he regarded him pointedly. “What aboot Kathryn? How are we gonnae get her back? We _need_ tae get her back.”

“We will, Jamie. You remember what happened with Professor Travers in the London Underground, don't you?”

“Aye, but -”

“Then have faith in your friend The Doctor, my lad. I will do everything in my power to get your girlfriend back. You have nothing to worry about.” He smiled warmly at Jamie, patting him softly on the shoulder.

“Thank ye, Doctor,” Jamie muttered quietly just as the Doctor gestured for him to follow them outside. Jamie was going to finish his earlier objection with, 'But she means everything tae me an' I'll never forgive m'self if we can't get her back.' He tried desperately to think positive. He did have faith in the Doctor; he always did, even after the war games had ceased and it seemed obvious things weren't going to work out.

Things were different now, however. They were personal. The girl he loved had been taken hostage by this Intelligence. They needed to defeat it once and for all; not just to save innocent lives, but get her back.

He just hoped with all his heart they would succeed.

 

* * *

 

Brow furrowed in concentration, Jo pored over the notes she'd recently taken, making sure everything was in order. She hadn't gotten very far, sadly, as she was finding it hard to concentrate. She couldn't believe what had happened at Glamis Castle. She'd stayed behind, mainly due to the fact the woman from the historical society was planning to phone her with more information. That had been the case, and the woman shared some very interesting findings which Jo couldn't wait to share with the others. Perhaps it would provide an important clue in finally solving this whole mystery.

She really hoped so. The Doctor had told her all about what had taken place, from the surprise appearance of the tour guide to Kathryn getting possessed, seemingly by the Intelligence. The Doctor also mentioned how much it had affected Jamie. Jo could only imagine how upset he was. She couldn't blame him, especially when it was obvious how much he cared for Kathryn.

Heaving a sigh, she gathered the pages of notes in order and placed them on the small table in the room. The Doctor had only been back a short time when he'd suddenly up and left again, this time heading to the library with the Brigadier, Mike Yates and John Benton to do more research. His haste emphasized the urgency of the situation. She knew this was serious and hoped they could come up with something.

A quiet knock on the door suddenly pulled her from her thoughts. Was the Doctor back already? Crossing the room, she unlocked the door and pulled it open, only to find Jamie on the other side.

“Oh, Jamie,” she started, not expecting to see him there.

The young Scot nodded, staring at her for a moment before looking down at the floor. Yes, it was more than obvious how upset he was, his face appearing worn and lines of worry etched around his eyes.

“May I come in?” he finally asked, meeting her gaze. His eyes were wide and questioning, and almost made him resemble a lost puppy dog.

“Of course,” she replied, stepping back to allow him entrance.

Jamie hesitated for a moment and then slowly entered the room. Jo took a seat on one of the beds, gesturing for him to sit next to her. He nodded at her in thanks before sitting down.

He remained silent for a while, just staring down at his hands in his lap. Jo didn't push him to speak, but the silence was deafening and she thought talking about it might help him.

“I heard what happened there. The Doctor told me everything.”

Jamie simply nodded, still avoiding her gaze. “Aye.”

Jo moved a bit closer to him, laying a hand on his shoulder. Jamie finally looked up and turned toward her. “Look, I can't even begin to imagine how upset you must be.” Looking away briefly, she tried to think of a way she could sympathize with him. “When I was seven, my family had a pet dog called Charlie. I loved him so much.” She smiled at the memory. “We had so much fun together. Then one day he went missing. We discovered my dad had left the gate to the back garden open and he'd run off. I was devastated and feared the worst about him. He was a scrappy little fellow but we did manage to find him, safe and sound. He never got away again and we had many more happy years with him.”

She turned to find Jamie barely giving a nod and still looking glum as ever. Jo felt her heart ache, and then felt foolish for even thinking this would cheer him up. “I'm sorry. I know it can't compare to what you're going through, but I know what it's like to lose something or someone you love.” Jamie nodded again, the look in his eyes this time seeming to thank her for at least trying. She felt her lips broaden into a smile. “Kathryn will be fine. She's a tough girl. You'll get her back.”

Jamie seemed to be attempting a smile of his own, but it faltered after a moment. It was as if he really wanted to believe her, but was still having a great deal of trouble. Jo felt so badly for him and wished she could do more to ease his pain.

“You know, she was really worried about you during the Drix situation when you were preparing to go into the London sewers --”

“Aye, I know she was,” Jamie interrupted softly, nodding almost impatiently and still failing to look at her.

“No, I mean she was really, _really_ worried about you, Jamie,” Jo persisted. “I tried to reassure her and take her mind off it, but it wasn't without Herculean effort.” She smiled ruefully and then briefly ducked her head. “That was when she admitted to me how she felt about you. So I'm sure you can imagine how much more it must have hurt her.”

At this, Jamie finally looked up and Jo could see some emotion passing across his face. He almost appeared to be holding back tears. Goodness, she wished she could wave a magic wand and make it all better. “Look, I know it might not mean very much coming from me, but we will get her back. She'll be fine. I know she will.” She gave him another reassuring smile. His expression seemed tinged with a bit more optimism this time.

Her gaze suddenly fell upon the stack of notes sitting on the table. “If it makes you feel any better, I heard from the historian and she shared some very interesting information.”

This seemed to pique Jamie's interest. “Did she now?”

“Yes. It's got me thinking of a theory or two and perhaps it will help us get one step closer to resolving this. I'll share it as soon as the Doctor and the UNIT men get back.”

Jamie had started to nod when the radio on the table suddenly crackled to life. He jumped a bit, obviously not expecting it, which caused Jo to grin sympathetically. “Oh, speak of the devil ...” She stood and then crossed the room to grab the radio. “Doctor?”

“Miss Grant, we've finished our research at the library,” the Brigadier's voice answered. “We should be back shortly.”

“All right, Brigadier. Jamie is here with me and I've got some information to share with all of you.”

“Understood. Over and out.”

Sighing, she replaced the radio on the table and then rejoined Jamie. He'd gone back to staring at his hands in his lap and still seemed a bit stressed, but definitely more at peace than he was when he'd first entered the room. Finally he looked up at her, a hint of a smile on his face.

“Thank ye, Jo, for tryin' tae make me feel better.”

“Of course, Jamie,” she replied, reaching over to give him a small hug. “As I said before, I'm here to listen. Or I suppose in this case, give a pep talk.” She felt her cheeks grow hot as she uttered a small chuckle. She watched the corner of Jamie's mouth twitch into an amused grin of sorts and it warmed her heart to see him feeling a little better.

They had spent a bit of time talking, mainly sharing some funny stories about their earlier adventures with the Doctor. Jamie himself certainly had a lot of amusing stories and simply sharing them seemed to cheer him up more.

Before long, the Doctor, Brigadier, Sergeant Benton and Captain Yates had returned. Judging by the expressions on their faces, it seemed their efforts came up fruitless.

“Well, we combed through the library for more information, but the only things we could find were more newspaper articles that coincide with the attempts to get into that 'secret room' and the 'hauntings' escalating,” the Doctor announced in frustration.

“Yes. One of the staff informed us they have a research librarian who is very knowledgeable and could help us find more information related to the castle, but he wasn't in today,” the Brigadier added.

“Right. Perfect timing, that,” Captain Yates said in disgust. “Now, how are we going to find anything that may help in getting Miss Drummond back?”

More emotion seemed to play across Jamie's face at the mention of Kathryn. Jo decided it was the perfect time to step in. “Um, I've got some information here that may prove helpful.”

They all stopped and gazed at her.

“Well, by all means, Jo,” the Doctor said, holding out a hand to prompt her.

Nodding, Jo quickly scanned through her notes to make sure they were in order. “Well, the woman at the historical society phoned earlier and shared this with me. There were multiple reports of sightings of Earl Beardie at the end of the nineteenth century. During this time, a woman who claimed to be a medium was brought in by the inhabitants of the castle to cleanse it of the spirits.”

She caught the Doctor rolling her eyes briefly, but he nodded, encouraging her to go on.

“She was an odd sort who was into the occult and dabbled with forces she should have left alone. It increased the hauntings, not only of Earl Beardie, but of sounds coming from the secret room, in particular a sort of beeping sound.” She stopped as she caught some curious looks from the group. “She also found a round, silver sphere and had toyed with it. This information was found in her diary. Apparently, they had found a cache of material from the Earl of Strathmore's time which included smashed bits of these spheres, but there was one found intact and, trying to figure out what it was, she somehow 'brought it to life.'”

The Doctor's eyes were now wide as saucers and Jamie was staring, slack-jawed. “Could this lass have done somethin' tae allow the Intelligence tae come through?”

“It certainly seems that way, doesn't it, Jamie? She 'brought it to life...' obviously means she activated it,” the Doctor added, appearing deep in thought.

“Wait a minute,” Sergeant Benton suddenly cut in. “One of those articles we found about the construction done to open up that 'secret room' … It mentioned they'd finally broken through and found a collection of odd artifacts. Perhaps the sphere might have been one of them?”

“Mm, yes,” the Doctor mused. “That could very well be so. If the Intelligence is indeed at work here, I suspect one of these 'artifacts' includes a glass pyramid.”

Jamie's eyes seemed to widen in realization. “Aye, that's right!” As if another thought came to him, he furrowed his brow. “But I didnae remember seein' any sort of room like this. I jus' remember seein' the sphere rolling on the ground from somewhere.”

“Might you happen to remember which direction it came from?” the Brigadier asked.

“I remember it seemed tae come from some side corridor,” Jamie replied, nodding a bit uncertainly. “I'll know once I see it again. They had ropes across some of the areas. There could've been one there as well.”

The Brigadier nodded. “All right. At least we've got a starting point.”

Jo nodded, taking all of this in. She was satisfied that some of the information she'd presented was helpful. Suddenly she was reminded of something she'd found in her earlier research with Jamie and Kathryn. “Hey, we'd learnt earlier that the Earl was killed by the Yeti and I'd wondered if his spirit still lingered inside the castle. Perhaps the Intelligence could have attached itself to his spirit or is influencing the spirit in some way to make the Yeti attack?” They all stared at her as if she had four heads, but she didn't care. “Doctor, you had mentioned the possibility of that tour guide being controlled by the Intelligence. If Kathryn is now under its control, perhaps it's controlling both her and the spirit.”

“Oh, in that case, perhaps we shall have to perform an exorcism,” Captain Yates joked with a smirk.

“Perhaps we shall, especially if they're both inside Kathryn,” Jo insisted, annoyed he didn't seem to be taking any of this seriously.

The Doctor's reaction certainly didn't help. “Oh, please. That's just ridiculous!” 

“Mebbe not, Doctor,” Jamie suddenly spoke up. “I know all aboot this. Back in my time, there were lassies accused of possession by evil spirits an' they were exorcised.”

Jo tried to contain a grin as she watched the Doctor whirl around and regard him incredulously. “You actually believed that nonsense, Jamie?”

Jamie, looking effectively castigated, merely shrugged. Jo couldn't help feeling an ounce of pity for him. 

“With respect, Sir, perhaps it's not as far-fetched as it seems,” Sergeant Benton added. “You did say it was possible the tour guide was being controlled by this Intelligence, just as that professor in the London Underground was.”

“Yes,” the Doctor replied, nodding.

“An' he acted much different to the way Travers did, eh? So … what if the spirit of this Earl, taegether with the Intelligence, was inside the tour guide an' influencing his behavior?”

Jo regarded Jamie in silent admiration. It was an interesting idea, one that certainly seemed to have some merit. Gazing at each of their friends, they seemed to be mulling it over as well.

“Hm... perhaps the spirit could even be modifying the Intelligence's behavior so it wouldn't seem so obvious the man was possessed,” the Doctor mused.

“Would it really go to all this trouble so as not to arouse suspicion?” Captain Yates asked.

“Aye, it would,” Jamie replied, nodding insistently. “Ye don' know the Intelligence. It's no' a good idea tae underestimate it.”

“Jamie's right,” the Doctor agreed. “It's certainly possible this Intelligence is capable of modifying its behavior – even with assistance – in order to carry out its nefarious plan.”

“Speaking of plans, we need to come up with our own,” the Brigadier cut in. “May I remind you our primary objective is to get Miss Drummond back, free from the control any supernatural being has on her. I suggest we start by examining this area from which you said the control sphere emerged.”

“Sir, we'll need some tools to get back in there if it's sealed up again,” Benton told him.

“Well, it can't have been sealed up very well if the control sphere showed up,” the Doctor said. “Still, it's best to be as prepared as possible. I also think it would be helpful if we could speak to Mary again. She seemed the most cooperative and being that she was quite desperate to have us assist them, I don't foresee her giving us any resistance.”

“Agreed,” the Brigadier said. “Before we do anything, we'll speak to her at length and prepare her for what needs to be done. Doctor, McCrimmon, as you both have had prior encounters with this Intelligence, I think you both are best suited to this task. Miss Grant, it may also be helpful if you accompanied them and shared the information you obtained from the historical society. Once we get clearance to get into that area, Yates, Benton and myself shall join you as backup with an appropriate arsenal.”

Having agreed to and confirmed the plan, everyone nodded and the meeting concluded. Jo watched as the UNIT men said their goodbyes and made their way out the door. She saw Jamie pick himself up and head in their direction, but he'd briefly stopped, looking so lost.

Nearing him, Jo smiled and softly patted his shoulder. “Don't worry, Jamie. We will get her back.” She'd turned to find the Doctor had joined them as well.

“Listen to Miss Grant, Jamie. She knows what she's talking about. This time,” he deadpanned. Jo's eyes narrowed in a glare as she moved to swat him. She'd just managed to catch his playful grin and the little wink he gave her.

“Oh, you,” she said with mock indignation. Jamie chuckled softly and then bid them goodnight, finally making his way out the door. He did appear in better spirits, which Jo was pleased to see.

* * *

 

Lying in bed that night, Jamie's gaze flew across the room and settled on Kathryn's empty bed, the sight of which filled him with both longing and worry. Shutting his eyes, he silently prayed for her safe return. Over these past few months he learned how much she'd meant to him, but it wasn't until now that it really hit him how very much he loved and needed her. He realized how true that 'you don't know what you've got until it's gone' adage was. He supposed this was how the Doctor felt each time he'd had to say goodbye to each of his companions. On that last thought, he felt his heart ache for the Time Lord as well.

He quickly shook himself out of it, disciplining himself to stay focused on Kathryn and getting her back. Instead of feeling eat up with worry, he was now filled with a new sense of determination: they were going to get her back. _He_ was going to get her back. If it was the last thing he'd do.

 

* * *

 

The sun was barely up as they arrived at the castle and met Mary. Nodding, she wordlessly opened the doors, allowing them entrance. Shortly after their meeting in the Doctor's room had broken up yesterday, Jamie, the Doctor and Jo had returned to the castle and spoken to her in detail about the situation and what they had to do. She seemed to find this all a bit far-fetched at first, as Jamie had expected, but in the end she was grateful for anything they could do to help. She'd also felt badly about Kathryn being taken, even if she didn't appear to understand very well.

“Now, from which direction did you say you saw the sphere traveling?” the Doctor asked as they headed away from the main room.

“Um … This way,” Jamie said, pointing towards the side corridor from which he thought he'd seen it rolling toward them. Suddenly he hesitated. “I think so, anyway.”

“I thought you knew where it was!” Captain Yates spoke up impatiently.

“Och, I cannae help it, it's dark in here! Things look different to the way they were on the tour!” Jamie cried in frustration. Yes, they had torches, but that didn't make his surroundings any more familiar. The fact he was so impatient to find Kathryn and save her made him even more on edge.

“All right. Why don't we venture back to the main room and start over?” the Doctor offered. “We'll try to take the path you took on the tour. Retrace our steps, so to speak. Perhaps that will make things appear a bit more familiar.”

Jamie nodded begrudgingly. He hoped the Doctor was right. Turning around, he began to follow them back in the direction towards the main room.

“It does seem eerily quiet, doesn't it?” The Brigadier said. “I must admit that --”

_Beep beep beep beep …_

“Oh, no,” Jamie breathed. He stood, frozen in shock as he picked up the familiar sound coming from behind them. It was quite faint, obviously a bit far off in the distance, but it was unmistakable. The noise drew closer and closer until he made out the familiar metallic glint of the object rolling into view.

Jamie was surprised not to see a Yeti close behind. He bent to pick up the sphere and was about to hand it to the Brigadier. “Ye got any grenades or some sort of thing that could --”

“Oh, there you are.”

The familiar voice reaching his ears, Jamie let the sphere tumble to the floor and whirled around. The sight in front of him made his heart crash to the floor.

“I was hoping you'd come back. In fact, I was counting on it,” spoke Kathryn, her lip curled into a taunting smirk and a Yeti appearing just beyond her.

 


	8. Seven

His eyes narrowing thoughtfully as he stared at the figure before them, the Doctor realized his earlier suspicions were now confirmed: This was indeed the Intelligence controlling this innocent young lady. His gaze briefly fell upon Jamie at his side, who was staring in shock.

“Kathryn ...” Jamie suddenly murmured, sounding so heartbroken.

“Jamie,” the Doctor cautioned him quietly. Deep down he pitied the lad, knowing how awful he must be feeling to see his girlfriend like this. That pity slowly turned into anger as he turned back to the creature in front of him.

“So. We meet again,” he spat out.

Kathryn – rather, the Intelligence inside her – smirked once again. “Yes, Doctor. You are certainly looking quite different, but I can still sense it is you. Looking quite haggard and more … mature, are you not?”

Taking offense for a moment, the Doctor glared at her, his jaw set. “You won't get very far with me with that attitude, I assure you. What may I ask are you doing in an old Scottish castle?”

“Well, you must remember I was cut off from Earth in space. However, I was finally able to resume contact thanks to a very helpful soul. Over one hundred years ago, a woman with psychic powers had attempted to, shall we say, rid this castle of negative essence. In experimenting with various forces and magic rituals, she opened up a doorway which allowed me to come through, back to your world. You see, this was my way in. Once I take over this castle and those within, the rest of the country shall be next. Then the entire world.”

“Of course,” the Doctor muttered dryly.

“Why did ye have tae possess Kathryn?” Jamie suddenly asked accusingly.

The Intelligence shrugged. “Quite simple, really. You trust this girl. I believed this would be the only way anyone would listen to me and consider what I had to say. It would also be quite easy to control humans and take over the rest of the world. They would trust me in this body. I had previously resided in Gordon, but his body is older and weaker. The amount of power contained within me would make the body wear out too soon. This girl is young and vibrant, with a sharp mind … not to mention full of compassion, making her easy to trust. I would be able to possess her for a much longer period of time.”

“Aye, well, how can ye say 'no' tae _that_?” Jamie asked, his eyes narrowed and lips curled into a sneer. 

“See? Even the simple boy sees the wisdom in this move,” the Intelligence added cruelly.

Jamie appeared to be ready to object but seemingly thought better of it. “An' what aboot Kathryn? I thought when ye possessed Travers an' wanted tae possess the Doctor, ye said he had tae submit willingly.”

The Doctor regarded him thoughtfully for a moment, that memory suddenly dawning on him. “Yes. It appears as though you didn't give this girl any alternative. You forced your way in.”

“Aye. She would never agree tae be taken over. She's too smart an' strong!”

The Intelligence nodded. “Yes, I admit I did something to paralyze her mind, making it impossible for her to resist possession.” The Doctor briefly regarded Jamie, whose eyes were widened in anger and his jaw set, making him look as though he wanted to throttle this creature. “I will be honest with you: I am not the only entity possessing this body.”

“What do ye mean?” Jamie asked, his anger seeming to subside just a bit and his brow furrowed in confusion.

“I had a little help,” the creature continued. Before anyone could object, Kathryn's eyes dropped shut and her head bowed. The Doctor watched curiously, the actions making him believe Jo might have been onto something with the theory she'd shared earlier.

Kathryn lifted her head once again and began to speak. “I am here as well.” It was still her voice, but this time with a pronounced Scots accent. “I am the Earl of Strathmore. I am reluctant to admit this, nevertheless I do so willingly. I had captured the large, hairy beastie in a faraway land and brought it back here to the castle.”

The Doctor nodded thoughtfully. A faraway land. Tibet, perhaps?

“I thought the beastie tae be daid but that wasnae the case,” the Earl's spirit continued. “I discovered there was a way to control it, a sort of metal ball. It had 'come tae life' an' I'd used it tae do my bidding, get back at my enemies.” A light blush had diffused across Kathryn's face, as though the Earl was uncomfortable sharing this information. “I soon learnt I wasnae the one controlling it. Somethin' else – somethin' otherworldly – was doin' so an' it ended up turnin' on me. It made the beastie attack me.”

The Doctor listened intently, forgetting for a moment that this poor young girl was currently being possessed by two different entities. “And it killed you?”

Kathryn's expression looked pained. “Aye. Ye see, I found this glass pyramid with it an' the force seemed tae emanate from it, almost as if it were its home. I tried tae destroy it but couldnae. It was too hard, like diamond. It drove the beastie tae kill my lady and young son.” Kathryn looked away sorrowfully before the spirit in her continued. “The servants then pleaded wi' my family to have the room containing the metal ball an' this deadly pyramid walled up so they could no longer control the beastie. It worked, but not so long ago someone tried tae break into the room. I dinnae ken how, but after it was broken into, the force was able tae finish the job and broke a hole tae allow the ball to come through an' control the beastie.”

'Aha,' the Doctor thought to himself. Another assumption of his had been proven correct. He briefly noticed Jamie regarding him in surprise, obviously realizing it as well.

“For so long I tried tae find a way to kill this force, but it was – is – too powerful. It has directed the beastie to kill. I've tried tae stop it but I cannae overcome it. It still has great power over me. It forced me tae take over this lass an' possess her.” The spirit stopped, shaking its head in apparent sorrow and frustration. Once it returned its gaze to the Doctor, he could see tears streaming down Kathryn's face. “I … I didnae wish this to happen, believe me. More than anything I wish tae overcome the hold it has on me. I wish tae release myself from this lass so she will be safe. I dinnae wish tae harm anyone. I regret I ever found this beastie in the first place.”

The Doctor studied the entity before him, his hearts moved with pity for this spirit. “Well, Earl Strathmore, I would like to help you achieve that. This girl means very much to us as well. I have tangled with this 'force' before. It is indeed a formidable one. In order to help you I need you to provide me some information. Now, you had lie quiet until construction had begun on that room you mentioned, correct?”

Sniffling, the spirit nodded. “Aye.”

“All right. We should be able to destroy the pyramid and help rid the castle of the Intell – er, the force.”

“Ye can do that? No matter how hard I tried, I couldnae--”

“Aye, we've got tools that can easily tear things like this apart,” Jamie spoke up.

Noticing the spirit looked hopelessly confused, the Doctor decided it was a good time to step in. “Yes. We've got equipment now that can handle it. You see, several hundred years have passed since your death. It is now nineteen hundred and seventy-two, the late twentieth century. Many advances in technology have occurred in this time.” The spirit inside Kathryn nodded, finally seeming to understand. “Now, I need the location of this room. Might you be able to provide me with that?”

The spirit nodded but then abruptly stopped, seeming hesitant to say anything.

“What?” the Doctor pressed.

“I … The force is still within this lass, competing wi' me. It wouldnae like me to share this. If it finds out --”

“For heaven's sake, man, grow a spine!” the Doctor shouted, growing impatient. The Intelligence was clearly dormant inside Kathryn at the moment, but there was no telling when it might awaken and foil their plans. He did still pity this spirit but time was of the essence, especially if they wanted to save Kathryn.

Jamie apparently wanted to try a different tactic. Nearing the spirit inside his girlfriend's body, he stared at her, his expression pleading. “Now, look, ye have tae help us. Lives are at stake here!” There was some element of desperation in his voice before he stopped and reached out, touching Kathryn's rib cage where her heart lie. “Especially hers.”

The spirit widened Kathryn's eyes, her expression quite curious. “This lass is special to ye,” it said quietly, more of a statement than a question.

The Doctor watched as Jamie bit his lip, as if trying to prevent his emotions from spilling out all over. “Aye. She is.”

Kathryn's lips twitched into a weak, almost tentative smile, as the spirit seemed to understand. She nodded and then gestured to them to come closer. The Doctor couldn't keep from smiling in amusement. It was as if the Earl believed this would somehow make it harder for the Intelligence to catch on to what he was saying.

“Aye, I shall tell ye,” the spirit began quietly as the Time Lord and Jamie drew closer. Kathryn turned to face the northward extent of the corridor and pointed a finger. “Walk aboot six paces this way until ye see a red and white painted shield wi' a raven and a stone wi' a sword sticking oot of it. That's my clan crest. Once ye see that, make a turn to the right. Only aboot two paces forward an' ye will come to the secret room.”

Briefly catching a glimpse of Jamie, the Doctor noticed his eyes widening in apparent recognition. He then turned, meeting the Doctor's gaze. “Doctor, I remember now. This is where I first heard the control sphere's sound coming from.”

The Doctor then turned to the Brigadier, Benton and Yates. The three men had been keeping an eye on the Yeti, which stood motionless. It seemed to have gone dormant at the same time as the Intelligence. “All right, gentlemen, I believe we've got clearance to do some demolition. Have you got the necessary tools?”

“Right here, Doctor,” the Brigadier replied, holding up what appeared to be a sledgehammer of some sort. He nodded to the Captain and Sergeant, who held up their tools as well.

Satisfied, the Doctor nodded. “Splendid.” He turned back to the spirit and bowed slightly. “I cannot thank you enough, my Lord. I am aware of the risk you are taking in providing us this information. We will do everything in our power to rid your castle of this menace in order to save innocent lives.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he witnessed Jamie and the UNIT men granting him the same respect, but his attention was focused mainly on the possessed Kathryn. There was a smile on her face that seemed grateful in nature, although their seemed to be some leftover fear in her eyes. The Time Lord nodded once again to Jamie and the others, and they started making their way down the corridor in the direction the spirit had given them.

Casting a last wary eye on Kathryn as they neared the junction, he found she hadn't moved, but her expression seemed different. Her eyes were widened in what appeared to be anger, perhaps a hint of fear.

“Doctor!” her voice boomed, all traces of a Scots accent now gone. The Time Lord felt his throat go dry. The Intelligence had woken and taken over once again. Staring at her, he noticed out of the corner of his eye Jamie and the others stopping in their tracks.

“You are not to enter this room!” the Intelligence ordered belligerently.

“Doctor …?” Jamie began.

“Listen, all of you. Do not give it any attention,” the Doctor instructed them quietly. “Just keep going.”

The Brigadier, Yates and Benton forged ahead, but the Doctor found Jamie standing still and gazing at Kathryn, obviously upset.

“Jamie, don't give it the attention it craves. Remember, this is the formidable enemy we've dealt with in the past. It is not your girlfriend. Stay with me, lad. This may be our only chance to conquer it and get her back!”

The young Scot finally seemed to catch on and turned to face the Doctor, nodding resolutely before finally joining him and the others on the path to the secret room. Hurriedly they made their way, just in case the Intelligence decided to follow them or send the Yeti after them.

As they rounded the corner, they found the corridor itself had been roped off. The Doctor heard Jamie utter a groan beside him.

“Not to worry,” the Brigadier suddenly spoke up. He nodded towards the other two men and Captain Yates stepped forward, deftly cutting the rope with an army knife.

Their path now clear, the five men traversed the narrow side corridor which seemed partially blocked off at the end. There was a large section of shelves that had been pushed back to the side, revealing a smooth section of brick wall. 'Ah,' the Doctor thought. Perfect candidate for a 'secret room.'

A little too perfect, in fact. Kneeling down to get a closer look, they found an uneven area that appeared as if it had been broken into at one point and then hastily covered up. Jamie moved back a bit to allow the Doctor a closer look. Shining a torch on the area, the Time Lord uncovered a hole. It was rather small, but still large enough for something to get through it … something like a control sphere.

“Hm,” the Doctor started, brow furrowed in thought. “Whoever attempted to cover this up did a poor job of it. It's quite possible that if the Intelligence had combined with this spirit, the output of energy could be substantial enough to shatter this poor excuse of a hole, allowing a sphere to get through and eventually reconnect with the Yeti.”

Jamie nodded. “Aye, 'tis.” His voice made it seem as if his mind were a million miles away. Poor boy. He must still have been in shock over seeing his girlfriend possessed like this, not to mention the way she'd addressed him.

“Stand back, Doctor,” the Brigadier's voice suddenly cut in behind them.

Before the Doctor could react he suddenly felt Jamie grab hold of his arm, dragging him with him as he quickly backed away. He watched as the Brigadier, Sergeant Benton and Captain Yates moved forward, armed with large sledgehammers. The three men hammered away at the wall until pieces of brick finally broke free and created an opening large enough to enter the room.

Once the dust had settled, the men stood up and neared the hole, shining their torches inside. The room was covered in cobwebs and looked as though it had remained untouched for hundreds of years, save for some marks that had disturbed the film of dust covering the floor. The UNIT men had stayed back while Jamie and the Doctor entered the room. They had only been inside several seconds when he witnessed Jamie wrinkling his nose and apparently trying to stifle a sneeze, without success. 

“Gesundheit,” the Doctor automatically muttered. He barely caught Jamie's nod as he turned and shone his torch around the room. He didn't see anything noteworthy until the torch cast a glow upon a large chest of some sort. Sitting on top was a familiar pyramid shape, completely free of dust.

Nearing the structure, the Time Lord felt his eyes widen as he recognized the object immediately. Jamie, standing next to him, was staring with his jaw slack. “Doctor, look!” he exclaimed, pointing to it. “It looks just like the one we found in Tibet.”

“It certainly does,” the Doctor remarked as he bent to study the glass pyramid closely. “So, what may I ask brings you to an old castle in Scotland?” His voice was low and condescending as he addressed the inanimate object. Not that he expected an answer, of course ... 

However, it seemed as though he were about to get one. The faint found of a control sphere beeping quickly grew louder as the object itself came into view, rolling right in front of them. Close behind it was a Yeti, followed by Kathryn. The Intelligence was obviously still in control as her face was twisted in anger.

“Did I not tell you to stay away from this room?!” she shouted.

“Duck!” Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart suddenly shouted just before hurling a grenade in the sphere's direction. Taking cover, the Doctor briefly peered through his fingers to see the sphere shatter into pieces. Carefully rising from the floor and tentatively approaching it, he found the Yeti had become immobilized. The Intelligence inside Kathryn stared at it in shock and then turns to face the others, eyes widened in seemingly apoplectic anger.

The Doctor then watched as Captain Yates handed Jamie a sledgehammer and the young Scot gingerly approached the pyramid with it. The Intelligence had indeed noticed this and held up a hand to stop him.

“As your girlfriend, I order you to stay away from that, you stupid boy!!” it growled.

Some hurt seems to flash in Jamie's eyes for a split second before they narrowed in defiance. “You're no' her.” Nearing the pyramid, he raised the weapon to strike it. “An' ye never _will_ be her!”

“No!!” the Intelligence shrieked.

With one forceful blow, Jamie smashed the pyramid in half. A bright glow coming from the object lit up the whole room, causing the Doctor and his friends to squeeze their eyes shut.

Once it has passed, his gaze flew over to Kathryn and he was amazed by what he'd seen: a mist pouring from her mouth while her knees buckled. The Doctor narrowed his eyes in curiosity. It seemed as though the Intelligence was being ejected from her. He realized quickly that something was off; the mist was the wrong form and color.

Jamie was staring in amazement as well. “Doctor, is that –?”

“Wait, Jamie,” the Doctor interrupted, never taking his eyes off the mist in front of them. He watched the mist slowly take the form of a ghostly, translucent man. The fact that he closely resembled one of the men in a portrait he'd seen earlier inside the castle confirmed his identity: the Earl of Strathmore.

The ghost then turned and looked pointedly at Kathryn. Following his gaze, the Doctor suddenly witnessed a dark, pulsating, web-like substance exiting her mouth. He watched as it hovered in the air for a moment. Although it was featureless, it seemed to be taking note of both the spirit and Kathryn, who appeared as if she were in a trance. Studying it for a brief time himself, the Doctor got a sick feeling down deep inside as he finally confirmed its identity as well: The Intelligence. Oh, it looked somewhat different from the last time he'd encountered it, but there was no mistaking it. He'd suddenly found Jamie at his side, eyeing the thing suspiciously and gulping. It seemed he had come to the same conclusion.

The Intelligence then seemed to be studying Jamie for a brief moment before it flew over to Kathryn's motionless form, appearing ready to attack.

“No!” Jamie cried.

What happened next was something the Doctor never expected to see. Before anyone could react, the spirit form of the Earl suddenly rushed the dark, web-like form of the Intelligence, pushing it with enough force to drive it back into the broken pyramid. The object lit up once again and emitted a loud, high-pitched noise that made them all grab their ears in pain. The room then seemed to shake as if a ripple of energy had run through it. Trying hard to steady himself, the Doctor cautiously opened an eye to find the pyramid had exploded, raining debris all over the room.

“Keep down!” he shouted over the commotion. It was then that he'd realized each of his friends were already on the ground taking cover. As the Doctor watched, each piece of debris that once comprised the pyramid disintegrated. Hearing unsteady footsteps, he turned to find Jamie next to him, having gotten to his feet.

“Are you all right, my lad?” the Doctor asked. He certainly appeared unharmed, but he wanted to make sure.

“Aye, I think so,” Jamie replied, brushing dust from his clothes and debris from his hair. He'd suddenly stopped and was staring at something. “Doctor, look!”

The Doctor turned in the direction Jamie was pointing to find the spirit of the Earl, smiling in triumph at the spot the pyramid once occupied. He then turned to the Doctor and Jamie, offering them smiles as well and a slight bow. The Time Lord felt his lips spread into a smile of his own as he bowed back, just as the spirit began to fade away.

* * *

 

Jamie shook himself out of the daze in which he'd been mired. He was still dumbfounded by what had just happened. His girlfriend had been possessed not only by the Intelligence, but by the spirit of an Earl who'd found the Yeti and activated it hundreds of years ago. The Intelligence seemed ready to do something unspeakable to Kathryn when the spirit attacked it, forcing it into the pyramid he'd just smashed and creating pandemonium. Judging from the expression on his ghostly face just before he'd vanished, Jamie believed he had conquered the Intelligence. But had he really?

“Do ye think the Intelligence is really gone, Doctor?” he asked the Time Lord who seemed mesmerized by what had just taken place himself.

“I'm not sure we'll ever find the answer to that, Jamie,” he finally replied. “Gone from this castle, yes. Whether defeated for good, I believe that's still up for debate. With the pyramid and the control sphere gone, the Intelligence itself shall no longer be occupying Glamis castle.”

“Aye, I believe yer right,” Jamie said, nodding. At least he wanted to believe the Doctor was right. He hated the idea of anyone else, whether they were workers at the castle or tourists, being attacked or possessed by this fearful menace.

“Doctor, McCrimmon,” he suddenly heard behind him. Turning, he found the Brigadier, Captain Yates and Sergeant Benton nearing them. “Are you all right?”

“Yes, we're fine, Lethbridge-Stewart,” the Doctor replied.

“Good. Now --”

“Sir?” Sergeant Benton interrupted.

Wheeling around, Jamie found him bent down and gesturing to the motionless, supine body of Kathryn lying beside him. Jamie felt his heart pounding in his chest as he rushed over to the Sergeant, the Doctor, Captain and Brigadier on his heels.

“She's unresponsive,” Benton continued.

“Eh?!” Jamie exclaimed. In a split second, he was down on the floor next to Benton, staring at Kathryn.

“Well, she was just possessed by two powerful entities. Surely that would take a lot out of anyone,” Captain Yates stated matter-of-factly. “I reckon she'll be fine.”

“Mm, yes, I would expect that, Captain,” Jamie heard the Doctor say.

“But is she alive? Is she breathing??” Jamie asked, his worry turning to panic.

“It was difficult to get a pulse, but I found one. Her heartbeat was shallow,” Benton replied. “I tried to rouse her, but as I just said she's unresponsive.”

Jamie barely listened to him as he lowered his head to Kathryn's chest to make sure she was breathing. He thought he picked up a rise and fall of her chest, but it was very slight and what worried him more than anything was that she didn't seem conscious at all.

“Kathryn,” he whispered harshly. She gave no response. In an attempt to rouse her, Jamie slapped her lightly on the face and then tried to turn her head.

“Sir, I tried to rouse her but --”

“I heard what ye said!” Jamie suddenly growled, whipping his head around to Benton and glaring at the man. He swiftly turned back to Kathryn, biting his lip in frustration. Finally allowing himself to relax briefly, he was unsure of whether she was in a coma or just in a deep trance. Either way, he wanted desperately to get back the Kathryn he knew and loved.

“Kathryn,” he spoke again, lightly patting her face to get some response from her.

There was none.

“No,” Jamie whimpered. Feeling utterly defeated, he lowered his head to her chest, allowing the tears to run down his cheeks.

 


	9. Eight

“Wait, I still don't understand. What happened, exactly?”

Jamie gazed worriedly at Kathryn, lying on top of her bed in their room in the Rosewood. Next to him sat the Doctor, and on the other side of her bed stood the Brigadier. Once the excitement at Glamis had died down, they'd returned to the bed-and-breakfast with Kathryn on a stretcher. The Doctor had reassured Jamie that she'd be all right, and he'd succeeded in bringing her back to consciousness with his smelling salts and a sort of hypnosis. She'd seemed quite weak at first, but after several minutes had managed to sit up a bit and was asking them questions.

“Ye don' remember anything?” Jamie asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise. This revelation had certainly caught him unawares. She was acting as if she had some sort of amnesia. Quickly turning to the Doctor, Jamie was surprised to see him so calm, almost as if he had expected this.

“What's the last thing you remember, my dear?”

“Well,” Kathryn started, furrowing her brow in thought. “We'd returned to Glamis and that tour guide Gordon showed up. He ordered us to leave and we were about to do so when he suddenly grabbed me. I tried to fight him off, but …” She trailed off, shaking her head in apparent frustration. “That's all I can remember.”

“Mm. That must have been the exact moment when the Intelligence transferred itself from Mister MacLennan to you,” the Doctor replied thoughtfully.

“Aye,” Jamie nodded, a thought suddenly occurring to him as well. “I went tae check on ye but ye wouldnae answer me. Ye looked … different, like a completely different person.” He winced inwardly, wishing he could have kept the somber note from his voice.

Kathryn apparently had picked up on it as well, judging from the almost contrite expression on her face.

“So, that's it? Ye feel fine?” Jamie pressed, still a bit skeptical that she wasn't traumatized at all by what had happened.

She gave a tiny shrug. “Well, apart from feeling a bit tired and quite thirsty.” Her voice had croaked a bit and she'd coughed briefly.

Jamie shifted his gaze to the Doctor who had a sympathetic smile. The Brigadier wore his usual thin smile, but it seemed to have a hint of fondness behind it as well. “Miss Grant should be returning with a glass of water for you shortly. It's good to see you well after all that's happened, Miss Drummond.”

Kathryn had nodded, forcing a tiny smile in his direction.

“Well, I'll be heading back to my own room now,” he added before turning to the Doctor. “Call if you need anything, Doctor.”

“Of course, Brigadier.”

Nodding, the Brigadier crossed the room and opened the door, which revealed Jo on the other side. She had returned with a pitcher of water and a glass.

“Oh! Impeccable timing, Jo,” the Doctor exclaimed.

Jamie watched Jo smile as she set the pitcher down on a small table and poured some water into the glass. She then approached Kathryn's bed and handed it to her.

“Thanks very much, Jo,” Kathryn said, smiling weakly. “My throat feels dry as a bone.”

“Oh, no problem,” Jo replied. “Are you feeling better?”

Kathryn took a drink and then nodded. “Yes, I am. Just tired.”

Jo smiled. “It's perfectly understandable after what you'd gone through. You'll be just fine.” She patted Kathryn's shoulder. “Call me if you need anything, all right?” Backing away from the bed, she approached Jamie. He gazed at her curiously as she neared him.

“I told you she was strong,” she said quietly, giving him a wink and a knowing smile.

Jamie allowed himself a ghost of a smile and nodded as Jo walked away, exiting the room. He watched Kathryn sip from her glass for a moment and, suddenly feeling a bit awkward, lowered his gaze to the floor.

“What did she say to you?” Kathryn's voice suddenly spoke. Jamie returned his gaze to her and found her expression a bit teasing in nature.

“Oh … Um …” He awkwardly scrubbed a hand through his hair. “She said ye look much better.” He nodded in an attempt to back up his weak-sounding explanation.

“Oh, yes, I'm sure that she did,” Kathryn replied, nodding. Her tone made it sound as if she didn't believe him for a second, until she flashed him a grin and a little wink. He immediately knew she was having him on.

Jamie chuckled, not feeling as embarrassed as before. Kathryn then gestured for him to come closer and spread her arms apart, as if wanting to hug him.

Without a second thought, Jamie neared her but stopped just short of the edge of her bed, suddenly feeling a bit nervous. Oh, how he really wanted to hug her. After all that had happened, he wanted to grab and hold her, never letting her go. But something made him hesitant. She still appeared a bit weak and he didn't want to hurt her after her ordeal.

Kathryn seemed to pick up on this, if the encouraging smile on her face was anything to go by. “Come on, Jamie. It's all right. You're not going to squeeze the life out of me.” Her smile turned into a grin.

Jamie's lips twitched into a lopsided grin of his own. “After what happened to ye, I feel like I want to.” Sitting on the edge of her bed, he studied her for another moment and then pulled her into a gentle hug.

“I'm so glad yer all right,” he said, his voice faltering as he tried hard to contain his emotion. She didn't answer but he felt her wrap her arms around him and hold him tightly. Jamie didn't know how long they'd stayed like this until he suddenly heard the shuffling of footsteps nearby. His eyes followed the sound and he felt a slight warmth rise up in his cheeks upon realizing the Doctor was still there.

The Time Lord himself seemed a bit awkward for a moment as he briefly looked away, clearing his throat. “Well. Reckon I should be getting back. Jo had mentioned something to the effect of ordering room service. I don't quite trust her not to follow through on that plan, especially if it includes a lavish banquet or a plethora of indulgent sweets,” he said dryly before making his way toward the door.

“Oh, save some for us, would you, Doctor?” Kathryn asked jokingly.

“I regret having said anything now,” he deadpanned. As he reached the door and was about to head out, he turned back to them with a playful grin, giving them a wink.

Once the Doctor had left, Jamie returned his gaze to Kathryn, who was giggling. “Oh, he really is a something else.”

“Aye, that's a good way tae describe him,” Jamie replied in amusement, nodding. Leaning over, he gazed at her and began stroking her hair. He smiled as she seemed to relax into his touch. She was so beautiful, but the lines around her eyes were testament to how much this whole ordeal had taken out of her.

After several minutes, he noticed she'd drifted off to sleep. Jamie was glad. She appeared so weak, as if she'd need at least two days of straight sleep in order to recover from this. He thought back to Jo telling him she was strong, and in a way, she was. But everyone had their limits and he regretted having her get involved in this.

Jamie continued to study her as she slept and realized something had begun nagging at him. She seemed thankful to them for pulling her out of harm's way, but he wondered what her breaking point was. Would she continue to allow herself to be put in danger like this? Surely she couldn't be too happy with him over it. He even started entertaining the notion that she wouldn't want anything to do with him after this. It was one thing when she feared him going into the sewers to battle Drix, but she herself had now been directly involved in a dangerous situation. After what happened to her, he wouldn't be surprised if she no longer wanted to see him again. Absolutely heartbroken, yes. But not surprised.

Oh, God, why was he even thinking this way? Deep down Jamie knew he was being ridiculous, but he couldn't help it. Even though they were together, he feared this would make her change her mind and want to be as far away from him, the Doctor, and their people as possible.

Over and over he admonished himself for entertaining such a notion in the first place as he watched her sleep. But that tiny, irrational thought kept itching the back of his mind, not allowing him to fully relax.

He just hoped he'd be proven wrong so he could kick it away for good.

* * *

 

Gazing out the window, Kathryn smiled at the glorious sunrise that greeted her and Jamie as they sat together for breakfast in the Rosewood's dining room. Another day had passed since they had brought her back here, unconscious after what had happened to her at Glamis, and she had to admit she was feeling a lot better.

After he had revived her, the Doctor had spent most of the day off and on explaining to her what exactly had occurred. She had been possessed by two different entities: the spirit of an Earl who had resided at this castle several hundred years ago, and a malicious entity the Doctor and Jamie had dealt with before called The Great Intelligence. Her first reaction to hearing this information was to be stunned, not thinking such a thing was possible in the least. The gravely serious expressions on his and Jamie's faces however proved otherwise.

Thinking on it, she felt quite sad regarding the Earl's predicament, although it did seem to fit with what they had learned about him through their earlier research. More importantly, she was shocked at how cruel the Intelligence seemed, how it planned to use Gordon the tour guide and then she herself to fulfill its plans of taking over the world, killing anyone who stood in its way.

It also ached her to learn how cruel it had been to Jamie. He and the Doctor hadn't told her exactly what it had said to him, only that it was quite cruel and even a touch spiteful. This admission nearly left her feeling guilty before she reminded herself it wasn't her doing the talking. Still, she had to know how awful it must have made Jamie feel to hear her voice speaking those words. Jamie himself seemed to sense her feeling badly about it and insisted she not blame herself, that she wasn't responsible for saying it.

Once they had spoken to her at length about it, they decided to just take it easy for the day, staying back at the Rosewood to make sure she was all right. Physically she had felt quite drained, as though she hadn't slept in ages. The Doctor assured her that was to be expected. As he explained it, both entities possessing her at the same time had used up a great deal of her energy. As long as she took it easy and got plenty of rest, he was sure she would soon be feeling her old self again in no time. He seemed more concerned about how she felt emotionally.

Jamie had appeared quite concerned about this as well and, although she reassured them she was fine, they still seemed a bit surprised. It was almost as though they were expecting some dramatic repercussions or some sort of post-traumatic stress. After what they'd told her concerning the extent of her possession, she was a bit surprised herself, but she really didn't feel anything apart from the physical exhaustion. The Doctor reasoned it was due to the Intelligence's power being so great, it must have made her totally unaware of what it was forcing her to do. Kathryn had to admit she felt something trying to overpower her at first and had tried to resist, but she then felt a numbing, almost calm, feeling wash over her. It felt akin to being given general anesthetic before surgery. Perhaps it was some small blessing it had happened this way.

Back in the present, her gaze settled on Jamie sitting across from her. She'd smiled at him, but she wasn't sure he'd seen it. He sat staring at his cup of tea, stirring it over and over while holding up his chin with his other hand. He had been very quiet ever since they'd gone down for breakfast and it seemed as if something heavy was weighing on him. Kathryn hated seeing him so glum. She missed seeing his face lit up with its usual boyish charm.

“Jamie,” she said softly, attempting to get his attention.

Still nothing.

Clearing her throat loudly seemed to do the trick. The spoon flew out of Jamie's hand and almost onto the floor before she deftly reached over and grabbed it, giving it back to him. The light blush that stained his cheeks as he accepted it made a sympathetic smile tug at her lips. Finally he looked up, making eye contact with her.

“What's the matter?”

He avoided her gaze for a moment, giving a small, sheepish shrug.

“Jamie,” she persisted.

He met her gaze and sighed. “You'll probably think me daft.”

A weak chuckle bubbled up from her throat. “After all we've been though, I don't think I'll find _anything_ so daft.”

Jamie failed to answer her and went right back to stirring his tea, a pensive frown on his face. Goodness, it was heartbreaking seeing him this way.

Kathryn leaned forward, eyeing him seriously. “Come on. Try me.”

Sighing again, Jamie dropped the spoon back into his teacup and met her gaze. Whatever it was he wanted to share, it seemed like a big undertaking. “All right. I warned ye.” He leaned forward himself, gazing at her almost worriedly. “How are ye feeling after all this?”

Kathryn felt her brow furrow in confusion. “About?”

“Aboot us?” Jamie asked, appearing to swallow around a lump in his throat. Kathryn's eyes widened. What on Earth did that have to do with what had happened?

“I mean … Do ye still wish tae be with me?” His gaze had dropped to the tabletop. “After all, I'd put ye in harm's way. Ye could've been killed. I'd hate it, but I wouldnae blame ye if ye'd rather go far away from me.”

Kathryn's jaw dropped open in shock. What brought this on? She had to admit she was a bit hurt that he would even entertain such a notion about her. For a moment she sputtered, unable to say anything. Mentally she calmed herself and held his gaze. “Jamie, what would ever make you think that? Let me remind you that it was my idea to visit Glamis Castle in the first place. And let me remind you further that I myself had insisted on going with you lot back to the castle and putting myself in harm's way. You are not to blame for this. At all.”

Jamie had been avoiding her gaze again and just silently nodded.

“Yes, perhaps I could have been killed, but I wasn't. And if you think this is going to keep me away from you, you couldn't be more wrong.” At this, his gaze flew back up to her and he eyed her seriously. “You're stuck with me,” she told him, her stern expression quickly softening and then turning into a grin.

Ducking his head, Jamie chuckled sheepishly. “An' ye have no idea how happy that makes me.” Kathryn smiled sadly at him as he met her gaze once again. “Kathryn, I am so sorry. I must've sounded completely daft. I jus' … I jus' felt so terrible aboot all this. I never would've forgiven myself if somethin' had happened to ye.” His voice faltered slightly on that last sentence and she felt her heart breaking.

Picking herself up off her chair, she moved over to his side of the table and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a tender kiss on the lips. Moving back slightly, she found Jamie's face lit up in a fond smile as he looked into her eyes. There was the sweet bloke she knew and loved. He then took the lead and kissed her back, deepening the kiss somewhat.

Kathryn felt a warm, comforting feeling flood her body as she responded to his kisses, hoping he would never stop or let go of her.

Unfortunately, that was the case as the loud, clinking sound of silverware against a glass nearby made them both jump and separate.

Turning, she found the Doctor and the UNIT men at a table in the corner, about fifteen or so feet away. They were all staring fondly as Captain Yates held up a spoon and his glass, identifying him as the culprit. Sergeant Benton was giving them a small wave. Kathryn felt her cheeks flame and, turning quickly to Jamie, she found his cheeks a lovely, rosy shade as well.

“Captain! Sergeant!” Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart suddenly hissed, turning to them. “Some respect is in order!”

The two men nodded, the Captain looking away uncomfortably as the Sergeant failed to conceal a grin. The Brigadier then regarded Kathryn and Jamie with a contrite expression.

Kathryn turned back to Jamie, sharing an amused look with him before she found the Doctor smiling fondly and giving them a wink.

Sharing one last chaste kiss on the lips with Jamie, she reluctantly left his side and went back to her seat, drinking the last of her tea.

Once she and Jamie had finished their meal, they made their way back into the Rosewood's lounge. They were about to head upstairs and back to their room when they spotted the Doctor, Jo, and the UNIT men with their luggage and gear.

“Ah, there you are!” the Doctor told them. “We're just about to head back to London.”

“Och, yer leavin' already, Doctor?” Jamie asked.

“Yes. We really do have to get back. We know you've only got one day left here so we wanted you to have it all to yourselves.”

Kathryn smiled at him. “Thank you, Doctor.”

“Of course, my dear. Now that the situation has been resolved, we're sure you'll be safe. Still, you've got the communicator. If on the off chance anything happens, you'll be sure to contact us, eh?”

“Aye,” Jamie replied, nodding.

The Brigadier gave them a thin smile. “We're pleased that you're both safe, especially you, Miss Drummond.” He drew closer as if to address only her. “You've no doubt seen the sorts of things we tangle with on a regular basis,” he continued, dropping his volume of his voice slightly. His slight smile turned into a bit of a cheeky grin. “I give you credit for not thinking us all mad and running in the opposite direction.”

Kathryn returned his grin and shook her head firmly. “I wouldn't dream of it.”

“Of course she wouldn't, Lethbridge-Stewart,” the Doctor admonished him in amusement. “And I'm very pleased for it.” He addressed Kathryn again, smiling at her fondly. “I'm very glad you're all right.” He bent to give her a slight hug and then rose slightly, patting Jamie on the shoulder. He stepped back to allow Jo, Captain Yates and Sergeant Benton to exchange their goodbyes as well.

“Well, off we go,” the Doctor finally said, turning to join the others on their way out. He then stopped briefly and turned back to them with a grin. “Oh, and don't be surprised if you see something unexpected in your room.”

Without a further word, the Doctor left, leaving a confused Kathryn in his wake. She turned to Jamie, finding him gazing quizzically as well at the Doctor's retreating form. At last he turned to Kathryn. “Eh? What's he up to?”

All Kathryn could do is shrug. “Well, we've got to go back up there anyway. Let's see for ourselves, shall we?”

“Och, all right,” Jamie replied with a tired sigh. “I jus' hope we won' regret it.”

She couldn't contain the laugh that bubbled up from her stomach as they made their way out of the lounge and towards the staircase.

 

* * *

 

Having just set foot back inside their room, Kathryn looked around. What on Earth was the Doctor on about? From this vantage she couldn't find anything out of the ordinary inside. Although, given what Jamie had just said downstairs, perhaps that was a good thing. She chuckled inwardly at the thought.

Stepping further into the room, she suddenly picked up on a scent she hadn't noticed before. Jamie seemed to notice it as well as she found him looking around, wrinkling his nose and furrowing his brow in confusion.

At last he turned to her. “Ye smell that?”

Kathryn sniffed once again and nodded. It was not a bad smell, but one she still hadn't expected. At first she wondered if the maid had used some sort of different cleaning powder, but the words the Doctor last spoke to them kept nagging at her.

Her gaze suddenly settled on the small, carved table used as a writing desk. On top of it sat a small vase of flowers. Approaching it, she found a lovely Spring bouquet as well as a sachet of potpourri next to it. Kathryn picked it up and inhaled. The scent that hit her nostrils was a combination of vanilla and sandalwood which was quite intoxicating. More than that, it was one of her favorite scents.

Next to the vase stood a small card in an envelope with her name printed on it. Hearing footsteps, she turned to find Jamie had sidled up to her, gazing down at the card warily. “I hope he's no' flirtin' with ye. He knows yer _my_ girl.” He then snaked an arm around her, almost possessively. Looking up at him, she found a teasing, almost rakish, lopsided grin on his face.

Unable to keep from laughing, she lightly swatted him in the chest with the card. “Let me read it before getting yourself worked up, yeah?”

Jamie's grin melted into an apologetic smile as he held his hands up in surrender. “All right.” He then gestured for her to read it.

Nodding, Kathryn removed the card from the envelope and opened it. Inside was a neatly printed message:

 

“Kathryn, my dear:

Perhaps this is rather forward of me, and I imagine Jamie would agree, but may I stress I present this card and these little gifts to you with only the most platonic of intentions.

Simply stated, I'm very thankful you're all right after all that's happened. I regret you were put in this situation. Not many people have the stomach nor the fortitude to go through something like this. It's plain to see how very devoted your are to Jamie, so it's no surprise to me.

Please know that you are loved. We each consider you a good friend: Myself, Jo, the Brigadier, Captain Yates, Sergeant Benton … the whole lot of us. I sincerely hope you can think of us the same. I'm sure you know just how happy you've made Jamie and I'm very thankful the two of you are together.

Now, you two kids go and enjoy the rest of your holiday. Doctor's orders.

Fondly,

The Doctor”

 

Surprised and touched by his sentiment, Kathryn blinked away tears. Feeling a soft hand on her shoulder she turned and gazed at Jamie, noticing a faint smile on his face.

“Well. The Doc surprises me again.”

“This certainly was a lovely surprise, especially the flowers and the potpourri.” Picking the latter up again, she inhaled its scent once again. “I love this fragrance. I wonder how he knew it's one of my favorites?”

Jamie suddenly looked away, whistling nonchalantly. Kathryn aimed a pointed stare in his direction and she stifled a grin once she saw the faint blush staining his cheeks. “Oh, I might've told him somethin' one day not long ago ...”

Kathryn felt her lip curl into a playful smirk as she gave him a knowing look. “You were in on this, then?” she said accusingly.

“Oh, no, I had nothin' tae do wi' this,” Jamie insisted, holding his hands up to object. “This was all him.”

Kathryn giggled in amusement before her gaze settled back on the card and the gifts. “Well, all the same … it's lovely.”

“Aye,” Jamie agreed softly as she caught him eyeing her affectionately. Drawing closer to him, she threw her arms around him and he reciprocated, pulling her into a tight embrace. They'd stepped back briefly just to share a tender kiss.

Kathryn sighed, feeling safe and warm inside Jamie's arms. Her mind was focused on just how lucky she was; not just after all that had happened at Glamis, but also that she had such good friends – and a sweet, loving boyfriend – to depend on. Things hadn't turned out so badly after all.

 


	10. Nine

Jamie's smile was wide in both satisfaction and anticipation as he rushed through the TARDIS, clutching his prize in his arms. He hoped that if he'd just looked in the right spot, perhaps it would turn up, but it was still a long shot. Imagine his utter surprise, then, upon finding it when he'd rummaged through the cupboard in his room. The cupboard itself had gathered dust and cobwebs after not having been used for so long, but the object itself lie towards the back, free from dust and cobwebs and appearing almost like new, even though it was technically more than two hundred years old. It was as if someone had taken great care of it all this time and had left it for him to find.

Jamie was overjoyed, but there was still one thing he needed. He remembered when he, the Doctor and Victoria had first landed in Tibet and the Doctor had asked them to find that big bell … the Ghanta, was it called? They had rummaged through a large chest in hopes of finding it, uncovering a slew of different odds and ends the Doctor had kept for some reason. One set of objects in particular had struck Jamie's fancy, although the Doctor didn't seem quite thrilled about it. It was something he'd teased Jamie about from time to time, and Jamie had to admit there were times he wanted to sabotage the Doctor's recorder to get back at him.

Having found the first item, he'd found the large chest still in the back of the control room and had rummaged through it, hoping to find the rest of what he required. Luck was with him and he smiled as he uncovered the set of bagpipes at the bottom of the chest. Looking them over, he realized they were in better condition than he'd expected and it had dawned on him that he'd spent odd moments of down time in the TARDIS fixing them up (unbeknownst to the Doctor, Victoria or Zoe, of course).

As he'd set them back up, he gazed fondly down at his chanter. He'd had it ever since his father had taught him how to play as a wee lad. He'd sadly lost his pipes out on the battlefield at Culloden, but he still had the chanter and had kept it with him as he'd joined the Doctor, Ben and Polly in the TARDIS. Besides his kilt and tartan, it was the one part of him that reminded him of his family and his home.

Thinking on that last notion made him overly emotional and his gait slowed. His family were now gone. The Doctor – or at least one particular incarnation of him – had attempted to reunite him with them, but that hadn't happened. He missed them dearly, but the Doctor, Jo, UNIT, Ben, Polly, Victoria, and of course Kathryn, were now his family as well. He was more than thankful to have them in his life. Especially Kathryn.

Speaking of Kathryn, his gaze flew to his newly rebuilt pipes and he hurried for the TARDIS doors once again. He couldn't wait to show them to her. Once they'd returned to London, they'd gone back to UNIT HQ to debrief the Doctor and the Brigadier on the uneventful – in terms of strange happenings, at least – remainder of their holiday. Kathryn had submitted to a routine exam to make sure she was all right and emphasized once again how she'd felt fine emotionally. She was now seated in the lab while he'd gone to find his pipes and chanter, and he didn't want to keep her waiting. He hadn't told her exactly what he was searching for, only that it was special to him.

Pushing the TARDIS doors open, he leaped out into the lab. “Kathryn!” he exclaimed excitedly, hiding the pipes behind his back to surprise her. “I found it!”

She'd appeared to be fidgeting with her hands in boredom but had quickly looked up at him, her expression expectant. “What?”

“My chanter!” His smile was so broad he was sure it would crack his face in half, but he didn't care. “An' look!” He brought his arms around, revealing the bagpipes.

Kathryn's confused expression morphed into one of surprise, her mouth dropping open. “Oh! Are they yours?”

“Well, sort of,” Jamie replied with a tiny shrug. “The chanter I've had since I was but a bairn and the Doctor had these pipes lyin' around the big ol' chest in the control room. I'd found them when we'd landed in Tibet. The Doctor didnae seem too pleased aboot that.” He stopped and smirked ruefully. “I'd worked on them for a while an' got them back in good condition.” He then smiled fondly at her. “I'll play for ye.”

Kathryn's surprise seemed to melt away and she grew a smile. Some emotion seemed to pass across her face, as if she were deeply touched by his offer. “I would love that, Jamie.” Her smiled then faded, her expression seeming tinged with concern. “But are you sure it wouldn't be too emotional for you? I mean, it must really remind you of your home, right?”

Jamie shook his head insistently. “No, it wouldnae be. I'm a piper, Kathryn. It's something that's been a part of me for as long as I can remember.” Smiling, he reached out to smooth a strand of hair behind her ear. “I'm more than happy tae play for ye. I'm just so thankful yer all right.”

Kathryn smiled affectionately. “Well, I'm honored you want to play for me.” She held out a hand, prompting him. “Please, by all means.”

Jamie nodded happily and for a moment he thoughts turned to what tune he should play. One immediately came to mind and he got into position, his fingers moving over his chanter. At first he was concerned the sound would come out a bit rusty or he'd not remember exactly how it would go, but as soon as he started to play that concern was a distant memory. Yes, it had been ages since he'd last played, but it was such a part of him that it came naturally. The music flowed through the pipes as he squeezed the bag underneath his arm, and he begins to get himself lost in the it. He knew the tune so well he'd kept his eyes shut a good deal of the time, but he'd briefly opened them to discover Kathryn appearing a little emotional, as if she were blinking back tears.

He'd played for some time, the music being powered by the emotions coming from deep within his heart. He'd shut his eyes again and had become barely aware of the tears that had started pricking at the corners of his own eyes. He felt as if he had been reunited with a long lost part of himself. He was proud of who he was and his traditions, but he was also proud of the way his life had turned out and the relationships he'd formed.

Reopening his eyes, he noticed a small group had gathered in the doorway, listening silently to him play. Jamie felt a bit of warmth rising into his cheeks as he found Jo, Captain Yates, and Sergeant Benton standing there. The Brigadier had even walked past and had stopped to listen as well. And … was that the Doctor standing in back?

He was flattered they'd stopped to listen to him, but he tried to block them from his mind for a moment and focus on Kathryn. She was the one he was playing for. He noticed that she appeared even more emotional than before, the tears spilling down her cheeks. Although he hated to see her crying, it touched him to see his playing affected her so greatly.

He'd finally finished the song and placed his pipes down, offering a smile and a slight bow to Kathryn. She appeared ready to say something when she was drowned out by a round of applause, even a few little cheers. Jamie felt his cheeks flame as he turned, regarding his audience in the doorway. “Thank you,” he said, offering them an awkward bow as well.

“Not bad!” Captain Yates exclaimed, approaching Jamie. “Not that I'm a great fan of bagpipes, mind you, but from what little I've heard you've got a good sound.”

“Thank you, Captain Yates … I think,” Jamie replied to the somewhat backhanded compliment. Turning briefly towards Kathryn, he found her shaking her head and giving him a sympathetic smile. The Captain chuckled briefly, giving Jamie a pat on the shoulder before walking away.

“Nice work, McCrimmon,” the Brigadier said with a smile. “I was not aware you could play like that.”

“Yes, very nice,” Sergeant Benton added.

Smiling shyly, Jamie nodded, thanking both of the men before they left the room.

“Oh, Jamie, that was lovely!” Jo exclaimed, reaching over to give him a hug. As she stepped back he thanked her, exchanging a smile with her before she too walked away.

Jamie noticed the Doctor hanging back in the doorway, an unreadable expression on his face. Finally he entered the room, regarding Jamie with a slight smile.

“Yes, that was a lovely sound,” the Time Lord told him, sounding a bit impressed.

Jamie cocked his head in confusion as he studied the Doctor. “Eh? Ye never seemed tae think so back when I was travelin' with ye.”

Appearing embarrassed, the Doctor shrugged. “Well, tastes change.” Jamie's urge to roll his eyes evaporated once he caught the Doctor's disarming smile. He'd then turned to address Kathryn. “Once again, I'm pleased to see you looking so well, my dear.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Kathryn replied with a smile of her own.

The Doctor moved to leave but then turned back to them. “Oh, I nearly forgot the primary reason for my visit: Did I ever tell you about the incident that took place at Devil's End? Dreadful stuff. My arch-nemesis the Master was heavily involved, of course. The Brigadier can fill you in on the details if you wish. The reason I bring this up is we may have something going on there again. I can't investigate this alone and I was wondering if you'd be willing to --”

“Och, Doctor, we jus' got back!” Jamie exclaimed, staring incredulously at his friend. “Can we no' take a wee rest instead of runnin' around somewhere an' tryin' tae keep from gettin' killed??”

“Now wait a minute,” the Doctor said, holding up his hands in a placating manner. “I don't mean that, my lad. Of course I wouldn't want you going out there after all that has just happened. I only meant to ask if you would be willing to study some of the information Jo has collected. If it looks like something is going on, I'll have the UNIT chaps look into it.” He then huffed with mock indignation. “To think I'd put you both in danger so soon after what you went through! What on Earth do you take me for?!” A mock pout on his face, he turned on his heel and exited the lab.

Jamie stared in disbelief at the space the Doctor had just occupied. Turning back to Kathryn, he gave a slight shrug, his lips twitching into a sheepish smile. The fact he'd rushed to judgment regarding the Doctor's request left him a bit embarrassed. “I suppose it wouldnae hurt helping Jo tae figure out if somethin' else strange is goin' on, eh?”

Kathryn nodded, an amused smile on her face. 'No, I wouldn't mind that. I admit I do find the research part of it fascinating, but as far as actively participating in a potentially dangerous mission? I'd rather sit this one out.”

Jamie managed a slight smile as he nodded. “Aye, I wouldnae want you tae get tangled in anything so dangerous for a while.” Suddenly realizing what he'd said and worrying he'd overstepped his bounds, he felt his cheeks flush and looked away.

Luckily his worrying was for naught. “No, I agree,” she told him softly. Her gaze shifted to the tabletop and Jamie caught her eyeing his bagpipes. “I wanted to thank you for playing for me. It really was lovely.”

Jamie ducked his head shyly for a moment and then nodded, gazing back up at her. “Of course,” he smiled. He then gestured toward the door where his “audience” had just recently stood. “Sorry aboot the crowd. I meant that performance tae be just for you.”

Kathryn threw her head back and laughed. “Jamie, that's all right, really! I didn't mind at all. You play so beautifully, I wasn't surprised you'd attracted such a crowd.”

Touched by her compliment, Jamie felt a twinge in his heart as he gazed at her fondly. “That's verra nice of ye tae say, lass,” he told her softly.

“I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it,” she replied. Some emotion seemed to pass over her face before she rushed up to him, and he felt her grab him in a fierce hug.

Jamie wrapped his arms around her and began stroking the hair at the back of her head. “I'm so glad you're all right,” he said, his voice faltering slightly as he fought back tears. “I'm so glad yer here an' still want tae be here … I mean, with me.”

After a moment, Kathryn moved back at bit and he caught her tender smile. “Always,” she told him. “No matter what happens, nothing can separate us.”

Jamie succumbed to his tears and blinked them away as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. He was so thankful to whatever or whomever had brought them together. Come to think of it, it was technically the Doctor who had done so. If he hadn't inadvertently dropped Jamie off in twentieth-century London, they never would have met.

'Wherever ye happen tae be now, Doctor,' Jamie said to himself before stepping back to gaze at Kathryn and capturing her lips in a kiss. 'Thank you.'

 

THE END

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so this story comes to a close with a rather badly photoshopped picture of Jamie playing his bagpipes. ;) Thanks to all who read this. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. Again this is not the end of Jamie's adventures. I've got plans for at least two more stories in this series, so stay tuned!


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